revival
Americannoun
-
revivals
plural
-
restoration to life, consciousness, vigor, strength, etc.
-
restoration to use, acceptance, or currency.
the revival of old customs.
-
a new production of an old play.
-
a showing of an old motion picture.
-
an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.
-
an evangelistic service or a series of services for the purpose of effecting a religious awakening.
to hold a revival.
-
the act of reviving.
-
the state of being revived.
-
Law. the reestablishment of legal force and effect.
noun
-
the act or an instance of reviving or the state of being revived
-
an instance of returning to life or consciousness; restoration of vigour or vitality
-
a renewed use, acceptance of, or interest in (past customs, styles, etc)
a revival of learning
the Gothic revival
-
a new production of a play that has not been recently performed
-
a reawakening of faith or renewal of commitment to religion
-
an evangelistic meeting or service intended to effect such a reawakening in those present
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Content Summary 4.6: Early Modern Religion
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The continuing “No Ordinary Love” campaign speaks to the Gen Z-led revival of the romance genre as well as the AI-era’s reading-as-a-status-symbol trope.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
Adidas have gone for a retro revival with many of their kits this year and Bayern Munich's away strip sits very much in that vein - simple, clean and with the traditional trefoil logo.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
Blanche had previously said the fund would not proceed, but Cornyn and Tillis demanded a formal written commitment preventing its revival and language narrowing the tax protections.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
The Clowns are a revival of a 1940s and 1950s barnstorming Negro League team that included Toni Stone, the first woman to play in a professional men’s baseball league.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
“I hear they give you ice cream at revival centers.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
The Covid pandemic at least temporarily halted these revivals as people poured out of dense cities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 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
Ms. O’Hara, best known for her crystalline singing in musical revivals, proves to have a similarly wide range of octaves when it comes to physical comedy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 2026
He added their resurgence had been paralleled by revivals in woodlarks and Dartford warblers, "which are also showing promising increases in numbers".
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
The American Bottom, in this scenario, was the site of one of the world's most spectacular tent revivals.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
