reinstate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
reinstates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
reinstated,
past participle, past
-
reinstating
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reinstatesimple
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reinstatessimple
-
have reinstatedperfect
-
has reinstatedperfect
-
am reinstatingprogressive
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are reinstatingprogressive
-
is reinstatingprogressive
-
have been reinstatingperfect progressive
-
has been reinstatingperfect progressive
Past
-
reinstatedsimple
-
had reinstatedperfect
-
was reinstatingprogressive
-
were reinstatingprogressive
-
had been reinstatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reinstate
Explanation
When you reinstate someone, you return that person to a position or job. A principal might reinstate a laid off teacher when the school starts hiring again. Bosses can reinstate employees, countries can reinstate kings and queens, and governments can reinstate, or bring back, old laws. For example, during times of war the United States could very well reinstate the draft, which is not currently a law but has been in the past. Although it's not as common as reinstate, the word instate, from which it comes, means "to put someone in a certain state or condition."
Vocabulary lists containing reinstate
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
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The Unteachables
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This Week In Culture: August 8–14, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Because Bubic is on the 60-day IL, the Dodgers will need to clear spots on the active and 40-man rosters to reinstate him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Harry waged a years-long, ultimately unsuccessful legal battle with the government to reinstate his publicly funded security.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Carney will also need buy-in from provincial premiers to reinstate the sale of US alcohol, as liquor sales are controlled by the provinces, not the federal government.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
University of California math and science professors have urged UC regents to reinstate entrance exams because so many freshmen were unprepared.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
“It appears I shall have to reinstate Chiron as activities director. I suppose I do miss the old horse’s pinochle games.”
From "The Sea of Monsters" by Rick Riordan
The bank reinstates coverage of St. Barbara with an outperform recommendation and a target of A$0.96/share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026
ServiceNow extends gains into as second day after Bank of America reinstates coverage of the stock with a Buy rating.
From Barron's ● May 19, 2026
That language clearly reinstates any federal employee who was either told they’d be laid off during the shutdown or actually laid off.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2025
The Heisman Trust reinstates the trophy to Reggie Bush and USC, three years after the era of forbidding college athletes from receiving compensation ended.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2024
It is the power of forming images; it reinstates, in a visible group, those objects which are invisible, either from absence or from imperfection of our senses.
From The Principles of Success in Literature by George Henry Lewes
Proceedings had earlier been suspended after doubts were raised over Ortiz's mental competence, but Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Maria Cavalluzzi on Tuesday reinstated criminal proceedings.
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
And what do you know now that Ohtani has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
The administration also confirmed in a court filing that it had reinstated the suspended reporters’ badges.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
Hopeful return: Drew Thorpe was reinstated from the 60-day IL on Wednesday and is an intriguing option.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
But the newly reinstated Commissioner Curtis would not even talk with them.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
On Wednesday, a day after The Times reported on the dispute, the city said it was reinstating its previous agreement with the league, allowing children to return to its baseball fields.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
More colleges are recognizing this by reinstating standardized test requirements for admissions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
The party's proposals include reinstating short sentences for shoplifters and ensuring serious offenders serve their full sentences.
From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026
Attorneys for Kil said the university was in the process of reinstating her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
But his contrition did not last long, for the next day he informed us he was reinstating all the charges against us.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
