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:
Earlier this month, he hinted that he may be interested in continuing the Breaking Bad story, external, but said any revival would have a lot to live up to.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Not included in the “Girls” revival promo was Adam Driver, who played an actor named Adam and the on-again, off-again love interest of Dunham’s Hannah Horvath.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
After filming wrapped up, Evans headed back to New York where he starred as Dr Frank-N-Furter in the Broadway revival of The Rocky Horror Show.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
It’s the latest episode of what has been a rough ride for a school not far removed from a championship revival.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
The enormous white-columned hotel, built in the classical revival style, sprawled on a manicured estate in the middle of White Sulphur.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
For a player whose Premier League spell failed to meet expectations, his resurgence in Italy's capital ranks among the most notable revivals in European football this year.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
The Wrap slammed it as "boring and tedious", the Radio Times said it "should be illegal", and the Independent declared young people deserve better than the "slop" of "warmed-over revivals".
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
Uncle Ben, Papa Will’s uncle, was a traveling minister who held revivals across the state.
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.
