re·gen·er·ate
ri-ˈje-nə-rət 
-ˈjen-rət
1
: formed or created again
2
: spiritually reborn or converted
3
: restored to a better, higher, or more worthy state
regenerately
adverb
regenerateness
noun
re·gen·er·ate
ri-ˈje-nə-ˌrāt
regenerated; regenerating; regenerates
1
a
: to subject to spiritual regeneration
b
: to change radically and for the better
2
a
: to generate or produce anew
especially
: to replace (a body part) by a new growth of tissue
b
: to produce again chemically sometimes in a physically changed form
3
: to restore to original strength or properties
re·gen·er·ate
ri-ˈje-nə-rət
-ˈjen-rət
: one that is regenerated: such as
a
: an individual who is spiritually reborn
b(1)
: an organism that has undergone regeneration
(2)
: a regenerated body part
Synonyms
Examples of regenerate in a Sentence
Verb
The lizard's tail can regenerate.
The lizard is able to regenerate its tail.
The tissue cells can regenerate themselves.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
The estate has been running one of the U.K.’s most successful rewilding programmes for the last 20 years, with an emphasis on using natural processes to regenerate degraded ecosystems.
—Jamie Hailstone, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Capillaries regenerated well around the device, providing a continuous source of oxygen for the battery.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2024
Another £200 million will be invested in Barrow-in-Furness, the town in northwest England that’s home to the UK’s nuclear submarine program, to regenerate the area over the next 10 years.
—Kit Rees, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
The artist wants to give these painful histories a chance to regenerate, allowing life to flourish in the hostile conditions known by those who identify as Black, nonbinary, transfeminine.
—Zachary Small, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
If the fire clears out some of that overgrowth and the eastern red cedar, the prairie grass and forb species will regenerate in those areas, restoring wildlife habitat.
—Karen Hickman, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024
This depends, of course, on whether Ukraine is resourced to mount an active defense and regenerate its own combat power.
—Dara Massicot, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024
Swimming through your darkness never felt so regenerating.
—USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 9 Nov. 2023
Movements to advocate for nature’s right to exist, thrive, and regenerate could have a myriad of positive impacts to slow biodiversity loss across the world.
—Midori Paxton, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2023
Peripheral nerves like the ones in your hand regenerate well.
—Amy Barth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2012
Powerful peptides, retinyl palmitate, hyaluronic acid and a vitamin C antioxidant complex regenerate skin with less irritation.
—Danusia Wnek, Good Housekeeping, 16 Sep. 2022
To really reenergize and to lead with high positive energy, leaders must recognize and value the regenerate state.
—Andrew Deutscher, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022
Overnight Detox Oil by Caudalie: Simply apply onto the face at bedtime to help stressed skin regenerate overnight thanks to the omega 6 and vitamin E.
—Felicity Carter, Forbes, 6 May 2021
Medical experts say adults require between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, during which the body repairs, regenerates, and recovers.
—oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2020
At Shinji’s pleading, the EVA powers back on and physically transforms; its arm regenerates, but the limb now looks human, like Shinji’s, and the EVA roars, runs on all fours like a beast, and rabidly tears its enemy apart.
—Maya Phillips, The New Yorker, 21 June 2019
Verb
As the corals regenerate, the reef becomes more habitable for fish, that swim through and make the frames part of their home.
—Kathleen Wong, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
The estate has been running one of the U.K.’s most successful rewilding programmes for the last 20 years, with an emphasis on using natural processes to regenerate degraded ecosystems.
—Jamie Hailstone, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Capillaries regenerated well around the device, providing a continuous source of oxygen for the battery.
—IEEE Spectrum, 27 Mar. 2024
Another £200 million will be invested in Barrow-in-Furness, the town in northwest England that’s home to the UK’s nuclear submarine program, to regenerate the area over the next 10 years.
—Kit Rees, Fortune Europe, 25 Mar. 2024
The artist wants to give these painful histories a chance to regenerate, allowing life to flourish in the hostile conditions known by those who identify as Black, nonbinary, transfeminine.
—Zachary Small, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
If the fire clears out some of that overgrowth and the eastern red cedar, the prairie grass and forb species will regenerate in those areas, restoring wildlife habitat.
—Karen Hickman, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024
This depends, of course, on whether Ukraine is resourced to mount an active defense and regenerate its own combat power.
—Dara Massicot, Foreign Affairs, 8 Mar. 2024
Swimming through your darkness never felt so regenerating.
—USA TODAY, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
The entire left eye and optic nerve were transplanted, and stem cells from the donor’s bone marrow were transplanted along with them in the hopes of helping the optic nerve regenerate.
—Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 9 Nov. 2023
Movements to advocate for nature’s right to exist, thrive, and regenerate could have a myriad of positive impacts to slow biodiversity loss across the world.
—Midori Paxton, Fortune, 21 Apr. 2023
Peripheral nerves like the ones in your hand regenerate well.
—Amy Barth, Discover Magazine, 1 Mar. 2012
Powerful peptides, retinyl palmitate, hyaluronic acid and a vitamin C antioxidant complex regenerate skin with less irritation.
—Danusia Wnek, Good Housekeeping, 16 Sep. 2022
To really reenergize and to lead with high positive energy, leaders must recognize and value the regenerate state.
—Andrew Deutscher, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2022
Overnight Detox Oil by Caudalie: Simply apply onto the face at bedtime to help stressed skin regenerate overnight thanks to the omega 6 and vitamin E.
—Felicity Carter, Forbes, 6 May 2021
Medical experts say adults require between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, during which the body repairs, regenerates, and recovers.
—oregonlive, 9 Apr. 2020
At Shinji’s pleading, the EVA powers back on and physically transforms; its arm regenerates, but the limb now looks human, like Shinji’s, and the EVA roars, runs on all fours like a beast, and rabidly tears its enemy apart.
—Maya Phillips, The New Yorker, 21 June 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regenerate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near regenerate
Cite this Entry
“Regenerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regenerate. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
regenerate
1 of 2 adjective
re·gen·er·ate
ri-ˈjen-(ə-)rət
: spiritually reborn or renewed
regenerate
2 of 2 verb
re·gen·er·ate
ri-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt
1
: to cause to be reborn spiritually
2
: to reform completely in ways of thinking and behaving
3
: to generate or produce again
especially
: to replace (a lost or damaged body part) by a new growth of tissue
4
: to give new life to : revive
land regenerated by rotation of crops
Medical Definition
regenerate
verb
re·gen·er·ate
ri-ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt
regenerated; regenerating
1
: to become formed again
2
: to undergo regeneration
the human bladder and liver can regenerate when injured
1
: to generate or produce anew
especially
: to replace (a body part) by a new growth of tissue
2
: to produce again chemically sometimes in a physically changed form
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share