regenerate

adjective

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re·gen·er·ate | \ ri-ˈje-nə-rət

, -ˈjen-rət \

Definition of regenerate

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : formed or created again

2 : spiritually reborn or converted

3 : restored to a better, higher, or more worthy state

regenerate

verb

re·gen·er·ate | \ ri-ˈje-nə-ˌrāt

regenerated; regenerating; regenerates

Definition of regenerate (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to become formed again

2 : to become regenerate : reform

3 : to undergo regeneration

transitive verb

1a : to subject to spiritual regeneration

b : to change radically and for the better

2a : 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

regenerate

noun

re·gen·er·ate | \ ri-ˈje-nə-rət

, -ˈjen-rət \

Definition of regenerate (Entry 3 of 3)

: 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

Other Words from regenerate Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about regenerate

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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: Verb The two lineages diverged around 250 million years ago, but alligators have retained the ability to regenerate while birds have not, according to a press release. — Rasha Aridi, Smithsonian Magazine, "Alligators Are Now the Largest Species Known to Regrow Severed Limbs," 28 Dec. 2020 Researchers have discovered that the reptiles, which date back to dinosaur days and can grow 14 feet long or more, can regenerate themselves — not unlike geckos, or the tuatara of New Zealand. — Theresa Braines New York Daily News, Star Tribune, "Alligators can partly regrow tails," 3 Dec. 2020 Psoriasis is thought to be an immune system problem that causes skin cells to regenerate too quickly, forming in days instead of weeks. — Julie Ricevuto, Allure, "The Science of Beauty: The Complete Guide to Scalp Care," 17 Dec. 2020 Skin takes 28 days to fully regenerate from the bottom layer to the top, and some acne medications take their sweet time in yielding any visible results. — Sandra Gutierrez G., Popular Science, "Mask up without breaking out. Here’s how to prevent pandemic acne.," 3 Dec. 2020 The United States has also seen natural forests regenerate as arable farmland has declined by almost a fifth in the past 30 years. — Fred Pearce, Wired, "Is It Better to Plant Trees or Let Forests Regrow Naturally?," 31 Oct. 2020 The longer a piece of land is used for a single crop, the more fertilizers are needed to replenish soil nutrients that can’t regenerate naturally. — National Geographic, "fertilizer is choking," 17 Nov. 2020 Specialized drones are being tested in a program to boost koala numbers on Australia's east coast, dropping seeds of gum trees as part of a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) scheme to regenerate bushland torched in the country's historic bushfires. — Reuters, CNN, "Drones to drop seeds to boost koala gum tree numbers after devastating Australia bushfires," 20 Oct. 2020 For Thailand’s national parks, the pandemic has meant a chance for nature to regenerate thanks to the absence of tourists. — Lucy Meakin, Bloomberg.com, "Covid Forced the World to Change in Ways We May Keep," 22 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Medical experts say adults require between seven and nine hours of sleep a night, during which the body repairs, regenerates, and recovers. — oregonlive, "Sleeping and coronavirus: How to enjoy a restful night during the pandemic," 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, "How “Neon Genesis Evangelion” Reimagined Our Relationship to Machines," 21 June 2019 Yes, the Doctor regenerates and takes on a new face and body every time, along with some individual quirks. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Doctor Who wraps a solid season with its first female Time Lord," 12 Dec. 2018 Be warned: your commander health bar regenerates very slowly, and getting killed while spying on a foe (or waiting for your map-warping burrow) will freeze you out for a few seconds' worth of respawn. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Tooth and Tail review: Delightful, rodent-riddled StarCraft for the rest of us," 17 Sep. 2017 Rule 6: Get Eight Hours of Good Sleep Each Night Sleep is when your body recovers and regenerates. — Anthony J. Yeung, Esquire, "7 Simple Rules for Getting Lean in 2017," 29 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'regenerate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.