rehabilitate

verb

re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt  ˌrē-hə- 

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 historic buildings

b

: to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity

rehabilitative

ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtā-tiv  ˌrē-hə- 

adjective

rehabilitator

ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtā-tər  ˌrē-hə- 

noun

Synonyms of rehabilitate

• redeem
• reclaim
• regenerate
• improve

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

In his eastern Connecticut district, Courtney landed $2 million for the Connecticut Department of Housing to help with the expansion of affordable housing at Country Place in Colchester to rehabilitate 194 units of family housing. —Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 13 Feb. 2026

The largest amount of money in Proposition A — roughly $129 million — will go toward rehabilitating neighborhood streets. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Feb. 2026

Late last year, before The Washington Post slashed its staff and ousted its CEO, the paper was looking to rehabilitate its public image. —Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026

Once the home is rehabilitated, Habitat would sell it at an affordable price and the city would be refunded by Habitat. —Mars King, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026

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

Rhymes for rehabilitate

• borosilicate
• decontaminate
• deoxycholate
• deteriorate
• differentiate
• diisocyanate
• dinoflagellate
• excommunicate
• incapacitate
• insubordinate
• intercorporate
• interpenetrate

Kids Definition

rehabilitate

verb

re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-(h)ə-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt 

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

-ˌbil-ə-ˈtā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

rehabilitate

transitive verb

re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-(h)ə-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt 

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- 

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 operation

—J. 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

-ˌbi-lə-ˈtā-shən 

noun