reinstate

1 of 2

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

reinstatement

2 of 2

noun

re·​instatement "+ 

1

a

: the action of reinstating (as in a post or position formerly held but relinquished)

reinstatement of the postmaster

reinstatement to amateur status of a tennis star turned professional

b

: the action of replacing or restoring the effectiveness of (as something damaged, worn out, or lapsed)

the cost of reinstatement may exceed the market value of the whole farm

—Country Life

especially : the action of restoring an insurance policy to its previous status or amount after it has been reduced by the payment of a claim or allowed to lapse

2

: the state or condition of being reinstated

his reinstatement in popular favor quickly followed

Examples of reinstate in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

In a letter to university leadership, two Republican lawmakers urged the UC system to move quickly to reinstate the use of SAT and ACT scores in undergraduate admissions. — Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 22 Aug. 2026

Shopify's 2023 experiment banning every recurring meeting company-wide, reinstating only the ones teams deliberately chose to bring back. — Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026

After an emergency meeting that night, the league reinstated a maximum weight of 205 pounds, sidelining Farkas' son, who weighed 215 pounds. — Shelley Bortz, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

With just over a month left before regional officials decide whether-or-not to reinstate support for the Interstate 77 South toll lane project, several municipalities are staking out their positions. — Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

reinstate + -ment

First Known Use

Verb

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