reinstate

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

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

Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky, who helped lead the effort to reinstate the ban, acknowledged the action is likely to face further legal challenge. — Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

He was briefly removed from the ballot until a state court reinstated him. — Mary Beth Gahan, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2026

Last fall, the state sided with the reconsideration committee and said the decision to remove the book was arbitrary, reinstating it in high school libraries. — Tara Lynch, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026

The vote came about six weeks after the board reinstated Hill following a lengthy outside investigation that found no evidence of wrongdoing on Hill’s part. — Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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