reincarnation

American  

[ree-in-kahr-ney-shuhn] / ˌri ɪn kɑrˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

reincarnations plural

1. the belief that the soul, upon death of the body, comes back to earth in another body or form.

2. rebirth of the soul in a new body.

3. a new incarnation or embodiment, as of a person.

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reincarnation British  

/ ˌriːɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the belief that on the death of the body the soul transmigrates to or is born again in another body

2. the incarnation or embodiment of a soul in a new body after it has left the old one at physical death

3. embodiment again in a new form, as of a principle or idea

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reincarnation Cultural  

1. Being reborn in another body. Several religions, including Hinduism, believe that the human spirit returns to Earth in different forms again and again as it strives for perfection.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• reincarnationist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reincarnations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reincarnation

First recorded in 1855–60; re- + incarnation

Compare meaning

How does reincarnation compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• rebirth vs. reincarnation

Explanation

If you believe in reincarnation, you believe that after death a person's soul is reborn in another body. Certain religions hold this belief as a central tenet, including Hinduism and Buddhism. The noun reincarnation comes from the Latin roots re, meaning again, and incarnare, meaning to make flesh. The word reincarnation does not have to be a literal rebirth, however. The term can be used to mean a more figurative reinvention or rebirth. Your dad may have spent twenty years of his life working as a stockbroker, but after he reinvented himself, you'd be proud of his reincarnation as a math teacher.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reincarnation reincarnations

This is because the book treats reincarnation not as an ambiguous phenomenon but an empirical fact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

President Bill Clinton’s key political adviser, James Carville, once said that if he did believe in reincarnation he wouldn’t come back as a world or religious leader, or even a great Major League Baseball player.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

One regards The Character as the same person in each act, and through changes that occur within each act — identity, death and reincarnation are at the heart of the show.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2025

When he was two years old, a search party of Buddhist officials recognised him as the reincarnation of the 13 previous Dalai Lamas.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2025

Liyana’s entire family believed in reincarnation because it made sense to them.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye

Tom Baker, Sylvester McCoy and William Hartnell are among the stars who portrayed reincarnations of the Doctor in the original series of the show, which was cancelled in 1989.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026

Speed, eventually learn they are the reincarnations of Wanda and Vision’s twins, Billy and Tommy Maximoff.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2024

Sometime soon we’ll see him as the man a woman falls in love with over and over again through various reincarnations in an indie called “Timestalker.”

From Salon ● May 11, 2024

Kings were long considered reincarnations of the god Vishnu in the majority-Hindu nation.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 11, 2024

“It’s the sisterhood Mom’s always talking about. Five women who are reincarnations of legendary queens from the ancient stories. These days their job is to raise and protect us.”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi