reinstate

verb

re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
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 noun

Examples of reinstate in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In a post on X, Lander also said that the ICE agent had been reinstated. Liam Quinn, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2025 Disney ultimately returned Kimmel to airlast Tuesday and both station groups have since reinstated the show as well. Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025 Established under the Carter administration in 1980 and now largely funded through dedicated taxes reinstated by the Biden administration’s infrastructure law, the Superfund program is used for clearing up polluted land and handling environmental crises such as oil spills and natural disasters. David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025 But a year later, the decision was recalled when voters passed a proposition calling for the name Market Street to be reinstated. Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reinstate

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reinstate was in 1616

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reinstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinstate. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

reinstate

verb
re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
reinstated; reinstating
: to place again in a former position or condition
reinstate an official
reinstatement noun

More from Merriam-Webster on reinstate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!