repatriation

noun

re·​pa·​tri·​a·​tion (ˌ)rē-ˌpā-trē-ˈā-shən 

-ˌpa-

plural repatriations

: the act or process of restoring or returning someone or something to the country of origin, allegiance, or citizenship : the act of repatriating or the state of being repatriated

… rising demands for the repatriation of skeletons and sacred objects, now widely scattered in the world's museums, and for museum exhibits less devoted to static, stereotypical displays of … the native American culture.

—Robert McCormick Adams

While officials privately acknowledge there is scant legal basis for repatriation, their public statements suggest that they would use lawsuits, diplomatic pressure and shame to bring home looted objects—not unlike Italy, Greece and Egypt, which have sought, with some success, to recover antiquities in European and American museums.

—Andrew Jacobs

They say they have that right under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, which requires that human remains and artifacts be returned to Indian tribes that can show a cultural link.

—Timothy Egan

Examples of repatriation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Colombian citizen, who has not been named, remains hospitalized after his repatriation. —Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025

Tulane University professor Susann Lusnia, part of the team who identified the artifact, recently visited the museum in Civitavecchia as part of the repatriation efforts. —Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 19 Oct. 2025

Monday’s deal saw the return of 20 living Israeli hostages and the beginning of the repatriation of the bodies of the 28 dead captives who were held in Gaza during the devastating war as part of a ceasefire deal that, at press time, appeared to be holding. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 16 Oct. 2025

Medical evacuation/repatriation (including mortal remains). —Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1592, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for repatriation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration