rehabilitate

verb

re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio) ˌrē-hə- How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating

transitive verb

1
a
: to restore to a former capacity : reinstate
b
: to restore to good repute : reestablish the good name of
2
a
: to restore to a former state (as of efficiency, good management, or solvency)
rehabilitate slum areas
b
: to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity
rehabilitative adjective

Examples of rehabilitate in a Sentence

The clinic rehabilitates drug addicts. He's still rehabilitating the knee he injured last summer. They try to rehabilitate horses that have suffered injuries. The program is intended to rehabilitate criminals. The country has rehabilitated its image since the war. The city plans to rehabilitate its slum areas.
Recent Examples on the Web Laura made the decision to help rehabilitate her mother, and the duo began going on walks near the beach in Los Angeles. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 The zoo staff has provided her with nutrients to help build back her calcium and a physical therapy plan to rehabilitate her muscles, the zoo said. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The Philippines is tapping the private sector to rehabilitate NAIA—which has been voted the world’s worst airport a few times by the travel website Sleeping In Airports—to ease the fiscal burden on the government. Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Other cities like Nashville have also done away with parking minimums to encourage more affordable housing development, rehabilitate existing building stock and solve the nationwide housing shortage. The Enquirer, 28 Jan. 2024 The city sought proposals from developers willing to buy, rehabilitate or redevelop the property, preferably with mixed-income residential space and ground-floor retail. Mike Hendricks, Kansas City Star, 26 Feb. 2024 Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is scheduled to speak Friday at a trade summit backed by Saudi Arabia’s ruling regime, an event currently under investigation for its role in rehabilitating the country’s bloody human rights reputation. Joey Flechas, Miami Herald, 21 Feb. 2024 Despite this effort to rehabilitate the family’s reputation, a majority of Italians voted to remove the House of Savoy from its role leading Italy. Elisabetta Caprotti, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2024 When an independent medical review board determines when they have been rehabilitated and can be a productive member of society, they are then released and given an opportunity to succeed. The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rehabilitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin rehabilitatus, past participle of rehabilitare, from Latin re- + Late Latin habilitare to habilitate

First Known Use

circa 1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rehabilitate was circa 1581

Dictionary Entries Near rehabilitate

Cite this Entry

“Rehabilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rehabilitate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rehabilitate

verb
re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-(h)ə-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating
1
: to restore to a former status or reputation
2
a
: to restore to a state of efficiency, good management, or repair
rehabilitate slum areas
b
: to restore to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity
rehabilitate criminals
rehabilitation noun

Medical Definition

rehabilitate

transitive verb
re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-(h)ə-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating
: to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity
rehabilitate patients with hip fractures

Legal Definition

rehabilitate

transitive verb
re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt, ˌrē-hə- How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating
1
: to restore to a former capacity
specifically : to restore credibility to (a witness or testimony)
the State simply brought out all of the prior statements to qualify or explain the inconsistency and to rehabilitate the witness People v. Page, 550 N.E.2d 248 (1990)
compare impeach

Note: A witness whose trial testimony is inconsistent with his or her pretrial usually sworn statements is considered impeached. Such a witness may be rehabilitated usually on redirect examination. There are various state and federal evidentiary rules governing what evidence (as character evidence) is admissible to rehabilitate a witness.

2
a
: to restore to a former state (as of good repair or solvency)
if the debtor wishes to liquidate rather than reorganize or rehabilitate the farming operationJ. H. Williamson
b
: to restore (as a convicted criminal defendant) to a useful and constructive place in society through therapy, job training, and other counseling
rehabilitation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rehabilitate

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