restoration

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noun res·to·ra·tion \ ˌres-tə-ˈrā-shən \

Definition of restoration

1 :an act of restoring or the condition of being restored: such as

a :a bringing back to a former position or condition :reinstatement

the restoration of peace

b :restitution

c :a restoring to an unimpaired or improved condition

the restoration of a painting

d :the replacing of missing teeth or crowns

2 :something that is restored; especially :a representation or reconstruction of the original form (as of a fossil or a building)

3 capitalized

a :the reestablishing of the monarchy in England in 1660 under Charles II

b :the period in English history usually held to coincide with the reign of Charles II but sometimes to extend through the reign of James II

See restoration defined for English-language learners

See restoration defined for kids

Examples of restoration in a Sentence

The building is undergoing restoration.
the restoration of peace after war
the restoration of law and order by the police
The town called for a restoration of the law.

Recent Examples of restoration from the Web

The attraction has undergone a multi-million dollar restoration, and has also benefitted from some casual product placement in a little movie called La La Land.

— brittany martin, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 10 Best Things to Do in L.A. for Labor Day Weekend," 28 Aug. 2017
The city paid $13 million for a restoration of the sailing ship Wavertree, which was completed last year, plus another $4.5 million to make the ship accessible.

— sophie haigney, New York Times, "South Street Seaport Museum Gets City Funds to Restore Lightship," 28 Aug. 2017
That money, which provides revenue to Alabama to compensate for environmental impacts of oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of Mexico, is supposed to go toward coastal conservation, restoration and hurricane protection.

— john sharp, AL.com, "Few answers exist on how to pay for I-10 Bridge project as Alabama turns to the private sector," 28 Aug. 2017
Optimists hope that dialogue might lead to a restoration of the opposition’s political rights and an agreement on resolving Venezuela’s economic and humanitarian crises.

— The Economist, "The homecoming kingWhat the unjailing of Leopoldo López means for Venezuela," 13 July 2017
President Barack Obama’s restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba and easing of decades-old travel and business restrictions divided Cuban-Americans.

— adriana gomez licon, The Seattle Times, "Many Cuban exiles embrace Trump policy but want more," 16 June 2017
President Barack Obama’s restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba and easing of decades-old travel and business restrictions had divided Cuban-Americans.

— Washington Post, "Many Cuban exiles embrace Trump policy but want more," 16 June 2017
Any restoration – from totally squamous to poofed up with down –

— brian switek, Scientific American Blog Network, "Long Live the Fuzzy T. rex," 14 June 2017
The 2017-18 edition — with information about branches of government, election results and more — features new photos showing various stages of the restoration, as well as historic ones depicting original construction between 1896 and 1905.

— pioneer press editorial board, Twin Cities, "Friday Opinuendo: On good work, commitment, tomorrow and more …," 26 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'restoration.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of restoration

14th century

Other History Terms

agonistic, carpetbagger, enceinte, fief, historiography, paladin

RESTORATION Defined for English Language Learners

restoration

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noun

Definition of restoration for English Language Learners

: the act or process of returning something to its original condition by repairing it, cleaning it, etc.
: the act of bringing back something that existed before
: the act of returning something that was stolen or taken