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:
The two reunited again in 2023 for the off-Broadway revival of “Danny and the Deep Blue Sea.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
La Femme Theatre produces and Sarna Lapine directs the story’s first New York revival, which includes an unpublished second act that draws from different versions of the play.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
The ongoing explosion of revival screenings in Los Angeles is an opportunity not just to revisit accepted classics, but also to give a spotlight to undersung oddball picks deserving of broader attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
Welsh actor Luke Evans also paid tribute to Gill in a post to Instagram, remembering the theatre director for changing the trajectory of his career after casting him in a 2008 revival of Small Change.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
By this time, even if the victim is found, the shock of revival may be more than his body can bear.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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
But what does it say about a season in which musical revivals upstaged new work?
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 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
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.
