revival

noun

re·​viv·​al ri-ˈvī-vəl 

1

: an act or instance of reviving : the state of being revived: such as

a

: renewed attention to or interest in something

b

: a new presentation or publication of something old

c(1)

: a period of renewed religious interest

(2)

: an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings

2

: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract)

Synonyms of revival

• resurgence
• rebirth
• renewal

Examples of revival in a Sentence

a revival of biographical writing

a revival in Gothic architecture

Fashions from the 1970s are enjoying a revival.

The city is showing signs of revival.

There are three musical revivals on Broadway this season.

The opera company is staging a revival of Verdi's Don Carlos.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Ossabaw Island Residency is somewhat of a revival of a legendary residency program that ran on the island from 1961 to 1982. — Maximilíano Durón, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Rabe is also returning to Broadway after several years away for a revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities, starring opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus and John Benjamin Hickey. — Christopher Barnard, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2026

But the broader industry revival is not why Crowell leaned into the aesthetic in the first place. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 10 Aug. 2026

The latest revival gained serious momentum on Miu Miu’s Fall/Winter 2026 runway, where models wore nostalgic zigzag headbands reminiscent of the ones Lizzie McGuire made iconic in the early aughts. — Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing revival

• revival meeting

Rhymes for revival

• archival
• arrival
• survival
• conjunctival
• rival
• subconjunctival

Kids Definition

revival

noun

re·​viv·​al ri-ˈvī-vəl 

1

: a reviving of interest (as in art, literature, or religion)

2

: a new presentation or publication (as of a book, play, or movie)

3

: a new growth or increase

a revival of business

4

: a meeting or series of meetings conducted by a preacher to arouse religious emotions or to make converts

Legal Definition

revival

noun

re·​vi·​val ri-ˈvī-vəl 

: an act or instance of reviving