noun
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the act or an instance of reversing
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a change for the worse; reverse
a reversal of fortune
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the state of being reversed
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the annulment of a judicial decision, esp by an appeal court on grounds of error or irregularity
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of reversal
Explanation
A reversal is a change of decision or direction, often to the opposite. You liked history, but thought you'd major in business because there were more jobs. Then you took an economics class and hated it. So in a reversal, you majored in history after all. In legal terms, a reversal is when a high court decides the decision of a lower court is incorrect and should be overturned. In a reversal, the Supreme Court overturned the guilty verdict of the lower court, and the prisoner was set free. A setback or a change in circumstances for the worse is also a reversal. If you make poor investments, you may suffer a reversal in fortune and go from shopping for designer clothes to shopping at thrift stores.
Vocabulary lists containing reversal
Novel Study: Of Mice and Men, Chapters 1–3
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Literary Element: The Speech & Analyze Literature
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -al, -ial
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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.
A reversal of loose fiscal policy would hurt U.S. growth in the medium-term, which would also weigh on the dollar.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
That reversal sparked a bullish three white soldiers pattern, a three-week formation that often signals strengthening buyer control and a potential transition from a downtrend into a new uptrend.
From Barron's • May 21, 2026
The rise in mortgage rates this year marks a reversal from the second half of 2025, when rates declined after the Federal Reserve started easing short-term interest rates.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
It has called for the reversal of the price increases announced last week, and for fuel prices to be reduced by about 35%.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The last reversal was about 750,000 years ago.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
