revival
Americannoun
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revivals
plural
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restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.
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restoration to use, acceptance, or currency.
the revival of old customs.
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a new production of an old play.
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a showing of an old motion picture.
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an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.
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an evangelistic service or a series of services for the purpose of effecting a religious awakening.
to hold a revival.
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the act of reviving.
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the state of being revived.
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Law. the reestablishment of legal force and effect.
noun
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the act or an instance of reviving or the state of being revived
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an instance of returning to life or consciousness; restoration of vigour or vitality
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a renewed use, acceptance of, or interest in (past customs, styles, etc)
a revival of learning
the Gothic revival
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a new production of a play that has not been recently performed
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a reawakening of faith or renewal of commitment to religion
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an evangelistic meeting or service intended to effect such a reawakening in those present
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the re-establishment of legal validity, as of a judgment, contract, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of revival
Explanation
If something experiences a revival, that means it’s once again popular or important. If a news story mentions a revival in the technology industry, that means the industry, having gone through a slump, is once again thriving. Revival literally means "come back to life." An ER doctor might perform a revival of someone whose heart has stopped. We usually use it to mean "returned to glory, importance, or strength." Fresh paint and new flowerbeds might mean your neighborhood is experiencing a revival. If you don't like spiky hair, you may cringe at the revival of the mohawk in fashion magazines. Revival has a religious sense too, referring to a meeting that reawakens religious excitement and passion.
Vocabulary lists containing revival
The White Album
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"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 1
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Content Summary 4.6: Early Modern Religion
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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:
Welsh actor Luke Evans, who played Frank-N-Furter in a Broadway revival, called Curry "a force, a bright fierce flame, an exquisite charm".
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In this, however, may lie the hope for a revival.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
U.S. manufacturing could be headed for an AI-fueled revival.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
And it has enjoyed an unexpected revival as a shooting format in the last few years, beginning with Brady Corbet’s 2024 “The Brutalist,” giving the low-budget production a far more lavish look.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Paris was at the centre of the revival of Galenism, and as well as being taught the works of the master, Vesalius also learned his skill at dissection during his time there.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
The Covid pandemic at least temporarily halted these revivals as people poured out of dense cities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Young people deserve better than "warmed-over revivals missing all of the pep, colour and dazzle of their predecessors", he concluded.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
If ’00s revivals are all the rage in clothing and aesthetics, it stands to reason that the same would be true in cinema.
From Salon ● May 27, 2026
The season’s strength was in revivals, a couple of which were so innovative they stretch our understanding of the term.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
There would be Bible revivals and visiting preachers and good food.
From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
