reinstate

1 of 2

verb

re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt 

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

ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt-mənt 

noun

reinstatement

2 of 2

noun

re·​instatement "+ 

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 farm

—Country 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

Verb

Fedorov appears unwilling to accept another government post unless he is reinstated as defense minister, the same demand many protesters continue to make. — ABC News, 23 July 2026

On July 14, 2025, Kessler held a conference call with Iannaccone, Oberding, Elliott and Johnson about whether there was a viable strategy outside of Title IX that could force Cal Poly to immediately reinstate the swimming and diving program. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026

Those protests stretched into their fifth consecutive day on Monday, with demonstrators holding placards and waving flags as part of a push for Zelenskyy to reinstate Fedorov and dismiss Syrskyi. — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 July 2026

Worried Ukrainians, fearing that Fedorov’s removal could wipe out recent gains, had taken to the streets calling for him to be reinstated and Syrskyi to be forced out, instead. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 21 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

reinstate + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for reinstate

• abate
• airfreight
• await
• baseplate
• berate
• birthdate
• birthrate
• bookplate
• borate
• breastplate
• bromate
• casemate

Kids Definition

reinstate

verb

re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt 

reinstated; reinstating

: to place again in a former position or condition

reinstate an official

reinstatement

-mənt 

noun