noun · 6 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.
/ˌɹiːɪŋkɑː(ɹ)ˈneɪʃən/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -eɪʃən
CMU ARPABET:R IY2 IH0 N K AA0 R N EY1 SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
A rebirth of a soul, in a physical life form, such as a body.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
A new, considerably improved, version.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
a reincarnation of an old video game
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
noun
Meaning 4
the Hindu or Buddhist doctrine that a person may be reborn successively into one of five classes of living beings (god or human or animal or hungry ghost or denizen of Hell) depending on the person's own actions
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: theological doctrine
5
noun
Meaning 5
a second or new birth
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
embodiment in a new form (especially the reappearance or a person in another form)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
his reincarnation as a lion
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: embodiment, incarnation, avatar
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English in- English carnate English incarnate English reincarnate Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English -ion English reincarnation From reincarnate + -ion.
Across languages
Translations
88 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
reïnkarnasie
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Arabic:
تَنَاسُخُ الأَرْوَاحِ
(tanāsuḵu l-ʔarwāḥi)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Armenian:
վերամարմնավորում
(veramarmnavorum)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Bulgarian:
превъплъщение
(prevǎplǎštenie)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Catalan:
reencarnació
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Chinese Mandarin:
轉世 /转世
(zhuǎnshì)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Chinese Mandarin:
轉生 /转生
(zhuǎnshēng)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Chinese Mandarin:
投胎
(tóutāi)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Czech:
převtělení
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Danish:
reinkarnation
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Dhivehi:
އާތަމާލަ
(ātamāla)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Dutch:
reïncarnatie
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Esperanto:
reenkarniĝo
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Estonian:
reinkarnatsioon
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Finnish:
jälleensyntyminen
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Finnish:
reinkarnaatio
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
French:
réincarnation
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Friulian:
reincarnazion
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Galician:
reencarnación
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Georgian:
რეინკარნაცია
(reinḳarnacia)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
German:
Wiedergeburt
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
German:
Reinkarnation
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Greek:
μετενσάρκωση
(metensárkosi)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Ancient Greek:
μετεμψύχωσις
(metempsúkhōsis)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Hebrew:
גִּלְגּוּל נְשָׁמוֹת
(gilgúl neshamót)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Hindi:
पुनर्जन्म
(punarjanma)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Hungarian:
újraszületés
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Hungarian:
reinkarnáció
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Icelandic:
endurholdgun
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Italian:
reincarnazione
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Japanese:
転生
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Japanese:
輪廻
(rinne)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Japanese:
生まれ変わり
(umarekawari)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Japanese:
再来
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Khmer:
បដិសន្ធិ
(paʼdesɑnthiʼ)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Korean:
윤회(輪迴) 륜회
(yunhoe)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Latin:
metempsychosis
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Latin:
reciprocatio
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Latvian:
pārmiesošanās
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Latvian:
reinkarnācija
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Malay:
penjelmaan semula
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Manx:
aaghoaill y chorp
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Marathi:
संसार
(sausār)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Nepali:
पुनर्जन्म
(punarjanma)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Persian:
زادمرد
(zādmord)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Persian:
تناسخ
(tanāsox)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Polish:
odrodzenie
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Polish:
reinkarnacja
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Portuguese:
reencarnação
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Romanian:
reîncarnare
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Russian:
перевоплоще́ние
(perevoploščénije)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Russian:
возрожде́ние
(vozroždénije)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Russian:
переселе́ние душ
(pereselénije duš)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Russian:
реинкарна́ция
(reinkarnácija)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Russian:
перерожде́ние
(pereroždénije)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Sanskrit:
संसार
(saṃsāra)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Serbo-Croatian:
реинкарнација
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Serbo-Croatian:
препорађање
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Serbo-Croatian:
reinkarnacija
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Serbo-Croatian:
preporađanje
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Spanish:
reencarnación
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Swedish:
själavandring
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Swedish:
reinkarnation
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Tagalog:
pagmulingsilang
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Tamil:
மறுபிறவி
(maṟupiṟavi)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Tamil:
மறுபிறப்பு
(maṟupiṟappu)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Tocharian B:
saṃsār
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Turkish:
ruh göçü
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Turkish:
reenkarnasyon
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Ukrainian:
реінкарна́ція
(reinkarnácija)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Ukrainian:
перевті́лення
(perevtílennja)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Urdu:
آواگون
(āvāgavan)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Urdu:
تناسخ
(tanāsux)
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form
Welsh:
ailymgnawdoliad
— rebirth of a mental capacity in a physical life form