reinstate

verb

re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
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 noun

Examples of reinstate in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This is the third try to get a judge to reinstate them on the board. Dennis Valera, CBS News, 1 July 2026 After the executives sued, a judge reinstated Gill as CEO in March, and Subnautica 2 finally launched in early access in May. Jay Peters, The Verge, 1 July 2026 The petition to reinstate Altman later received 500 signatures from OpenAI staff. Will McCurdy, PC Magazine, 1 July 2026 Trump signed an executive order last year reinstating the test. Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for reinstate

Word History

First Known Use

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 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

reinstate

verb
re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
reinstated; reinstating
: to place again in a former position or condition
reinstate an official
reinstatement noun

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