reinstate

1 of 2

verb

reinstated; reinstating

transitive verb

1
: to place again (as in possession or in a former position)
2
: to restore to a previous effective state

reinstatement

2 of 2

noun

1
a
: the action of reinstating (as in a post or position formerly held but relinquished)
reinstatement of the postmaster
reinstatement to amateur status of a tennis star turned professional
b
: the action of replacing or restoring the effectiveness of (as something damaged, worn out, or lapsed)
the cost of reinstatement may exceed the market value of the whole farmCountry Life
especially : the action of restoring an insurance policy to its previous status or amount after it has been reduced by the payment of a claim or allowed to lapse
2
: the state or condition of being reinstated
his reinstatement in popular favor quickly followed

Examples of reinstate in a Sentence

Verb After his name was cleared, he was reinstated as committee chairperson. The school board voted to reinstate the school's uniform policy. the year the death penalty was reinstated
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
There were squad members who had taken 40 per cent pay cuts post-relegation from the Premier League a year earlier and were due to have that reinstated if promoted. Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026 By May 2018, within six months of learning of Orndorff’s allegations, the Board of Review cleared Williams of wrongdoing and reinstated him to his $84,000 position as an AAU officer. Molly Hensley-Clancy, ProPublica, 13 Aug. 2026 JPMorgan resumes Salesforce at overweight JPMorgan reinstated Salesforce and sees plenty of upside. Michael Bloom, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 Aside from reinstating the permits, Abelson also ruled a state statute couldn't be enforced on the building. Dennis Valera, CBS News, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reinstate

Word History

Etymology

Noun

reinstate + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reinstate was in 1616

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Cite this Entry

“Reinstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinstate. Accessed 19 Aug. 2026.

Kids Definition

reinstate

verb
reinstated; reinstating
: to place again in a former position or condition
reinstate an official

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