Standard Lemma guide

rehabilitate

verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɹiː(h)əˈbɪlɪteɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY2 HH AH0 B IH1 L AH0 T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R IY2 AH0 B IH1 L AH0 T EY2 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To vindicate; to restore the reputation or image of (a person, concept etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To return (something) to its original condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: restore, roll back, deconvert, reconvert, rehabilitate, restitute, revert

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To restore or repair (a vehicle, building); to make habitable or usable again.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Canada, US, transitive

Topics: business, construction, manufacturing

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: fix, renovate, amend, correct, fix up, furbish, retrieve, make whole, mend, patch, put to rights, rectify, recondition, reform, refurbish, remediate, remedy, renew, restore, restrive, revamp, right

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To restore to (a criminal etc.) the necessary training and education to allow for a successful reintegration into society; to retrain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: criminology, human-sciences, law, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To return (someone) to good health after illness, addiction, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To go through such a process; to recover.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

help to readapt, as to a former state of health or good repute

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The prisoner was successfully rehabilitated
  • After a year in the mental clinic, the patient is now rehabilitated

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: restore, reconstruct

9

verb

Meaning 9

restore to a state of good condition or operation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: restore, reconstruct

10

verb

Meaning 10

reinstall politically

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Deng Xiao Ping was rehabilitated several times throughout his lifetime

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: purge

Broader terms: reinstate

History

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin rehabilitātus, perfect passive participle of Latin rehabilitō. See habilitate.

Across languages

Translations

68 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: рэабілітава́ць (reabilitavácʹ) — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Bulgarian: реабилитирам (reabilitiram) — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Catalan: rehabilitar — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Finnish: rehabilitoida — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Finnish: palauttaa — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • French: réhabiliter — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Galician: rehabilitar — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • German: rehabilitieren — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • German: wiederherstellen — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • German: wiedereinsetzen — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • German: wieder einsetzen — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Italian: riabilitare — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Māori: whakanohonoho — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Polish: rehabilitować — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Polish: zrehabilitować — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Portuguese: reabilitar — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Romanian: reabilita — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Russian: реабилити́ровать (reabilitírovatʹ) — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Spanish: rehabilitar — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Swedish: rehabilitera — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Ukrainian: реабілітува́ти (reabilituváty) — to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
  • Bulgarian: реабилитирам (reabilitiram) — to restore the reputation or image of
  • Finnish: palauttaa kunnia — to restore the reputation or image of
  • German: verteidigen — to restore the reputation or image of
  • German: rehabilitieren — to restore the reputation or image of
  • German: reinwaschen — to restore the reputation or image of
  • Polish: rehabilitować — to restore the reputation or image of
  • Polish: zrehabilitować — to restore the reputation or image of
  • Bulgarian: възстановявам (vǎzstanovjavam) — to return to original condition
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回復 /回复 (huífù) — to return to original condition
  • Finnish: kunnostaa — to return to original condition
  • German: wiedereinsetzen — to return to original condition
  • German: wiederherstellen — to return to original condition
  • Māori: whakaauraki — to return to original condition
  • Bulgarian: поправям (popravjam) — to restore or repair
  • Bulgarian: ремонтирам (remontiram) — to restore or repair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 修復 /修复 (xiūfù) — to restore or repair
  • Finnish: kunnostaa — to restore or repair
  • German: rekonstruieren — to restore or repair
  • German: wiederherstellen — to restore or repair
  • German: restaurieren — to restore or repair
  • German: reparieren — to restore or repair
  • German: wieder nutzbar machen — to restore or repair
  • German: reaktivieren — to restore or repair
  • German: sanieren — to restore or repair
  • Romanian: reabilita — to restore or repair
  • Chinese Mandarin: 回歸 /回归 (huíguī) — to restore into society
  • Finnish: kuntouttaa — to restore into society
  • German: wiedereingliedern — to restore into society
  • German: rehabilitieren — to restore into society
  • German: resozialisieren — to restore into society
  • German: wieder eingliedern — to restore into society
  • Māori: whakanohonoho — to restore into society
  • Māori: whakaauraki — to restore into society
  • Swedish: rehabilitera — to restore into society
  • Bulgarian: възстановявам се (vǎzstanovjavam se) — to return to good health after illness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 康復 /康复 (kāngfù) — to return to good health after illness
  • Finnish: kuntouttaa — to return to good health after illness
  • German: rehabilitieren — to return to good health after illness
  • Māori: whakamātūtū — to return to good health after illness
  • Polish: rehabilitować — to return to good health after illness
  • Polish: zrehabilitować — to return to good health after illness
  • Turkish: iyileştirmek — to return to good health after illness
  • Chinese Mandarin: 復原 /复原 (fùyuán) — to recover
  • Finnish: kuntoutua — to recover
  • Finnish: parantua — to recover
  • German: sich erholen — to recover
  • Swedish: rehabilitera — to recover