reactivation

noun

re·​ac·​ti·​va·​tion (ˌ)rē-ˌak-tə-ˈvā-shən 

plural reactivations

: the act or process of making something active again or becoming active again : the act or process of reactivating or the condition of being reactivated

reactivation of a dormant virus

reactivation of several warships

Examples of reactivation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The pact also calls for strengthening operational capacities of the Haiti National Police and Armed Forces of Haiti, defining cooperation protocols with the Gang Suppression Force and the reactivation of the National Commission for Disarmament, Dismantlement and Reintegration. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026

Perhaps as a result of the altered immune function, reactivation of dormant viruses has also been documented during and after spaceflight. —Scott E. Solomon, STAT, 22 Apr. 2026

And because memories are, essentially, reactivations of specific patterns of sensory and other neural activity, that means that sensory patterns alone can get consolidated as memories. —Tim Requarth, Longreads, 9 Apr. 2026

Shingles is a reactivation of the varicella-zoster virus that causes chicken pox. —Ashley Milne-Tyte, NPR, 6 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for reactivation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Medical Definition

reactivation

noun

re·​ac·​ti·​va·​tion -ˌak-tə-ˈvā-shən 

: the act or process of reactivating or condition of being reactivated