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

If the tests are reinstated, the policy would not take effect until the fall 2028 application period at the earliest. — Jaweed Kaleem, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

Armstrong unsuccessfully led a public campaign to be reinstated, saying his firing had been a ploy by federal officials who oversee OPD’s affairs to remain in power. — Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Christopher Newport is the second school this week to reinstate a program following a Title IX legal threat by Bryant, following California Lutheran University’s decision to bring back women’s lacrosse. — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 8 July 2026

Trout, reinstated just in time for the All-Star Game next week in his beloved Philadelphia, missed 17 games with a strained right hamstring suffered while running the bases in a game on June 17. — ABC News, 8 July 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