revenant

American  

[rev-uh-nuhnt] / ˈrɛv ə nənt /

noun

• revenants
  plural

1. a person who returns.

2. a person who returns as a spirit after death; ghost.

3. a corpse reanimated by a supernatural force; an undead being.

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revenant British  

/ ˈrɛvɪnənt /

noun

1. something, esp a ghost, that returns

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• revenants
  plural

Etymology

Origin of revenant

First recorded in 1820–30; from French: literally, “one returning from a long absence; ghost,” noun use of present participle of revenir “to return,” equivalent to re- “again” + ven(ir) “to come” + -ant present participle ending; see also re- -ant

Explanation

Use the word revenant to talk about someone who returns after a long absence. If your cat goes missing for weeks, only to stroll back into your house one morning, you could describe him as a revenant. Anyone who comes back after being gone for a long time can be described as revenant, which can be a noun or an adjective. You can even use revenant to talk about ghosts, in that they are said to be spirits of those returning from the dead, or a fashion trend from long ago that is popular again, like revenant tie-dye t-shirts. The word revenant comes from the French revenir, which means "to return."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

revenant revenants

Even then there is a high chance the fire will reappear, like a smoking revenant, fed by hidden fuel buried in the invisible depths of the peat swamp.

From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026

This reminded me, in Italian-American culture, of pastina — a grain that has deep, revenant importance throughout both Italy, America and many countries beyond that.

From Salon ● Jan. 26, 2024

If you’re of a particular temperament - a true Music Head, for example - you can almost get spiritual about the revenant power represented by the history contained on all that vinyl.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 19, 2019

Love is a recurrent theme, often between a studious young man and an enigmatic beauty of unknown background who, alas, generally turns out to be a revenant or were-vixen.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 29, 2019

Perhaps she’s a revenant, like the creature in Mr. Alexander Westing’s latest weekly serial “The Ghost Knocks Thrice.”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

The imagery conjures a supernatural patchwork of revenants and Superman.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2024

Any Jamesian will be surprised at how much new light Murphy casts on these eerie tales of revenants and demons.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 18, 2017

How about: Transparency—it’s not just for jellyfish and revenants.

From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2017

Inside, the walls will be decorated with framed revenants of the room’s high-oxygen heyday.

From New York Times ● Dec. 6, 2013

So tonight we sat and told our tales: Olakunde of Oyo, Pomp of marshy cunning-men and revenants, and me of Greece and Rome.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson