rehabilitate

verb

re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio) ˌrē-hə- How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating

transitive verb

1
a
: to restore to a former capacity : reinstate
b
: to restore to good repute : reestablish the good name of
2
a
: to restore to a former state (as of efficiency, good management, or solvency)
rehabilitate slum areas
b
: to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity
rehabilitative adjective

Examples of rehabilitate in a Sentence

The clinic rehabilitates drug addicts. He's still rehabilitating the knee he injured last summer. They try to rehabilitate horses that have suffered injuries. The program is intended to rehabilitate criminals. The country has rehabilitated its image since the war. The city plans to rehabilitate its slum areas.
Recent Examples on the Web The tribe will recreate and rehabilitate 41 acres along the Colorado River that have become choked with invasive plants. The Arizona Republic, 21 Mar. 2024 The only effective long-term answer is of course to build and rehabilitate more housing — a lot more. Ben Harris, The Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2024 Although Mack has shined, especially last season, Bosa more often has been attempting to rehabilitate his way back into the lineup. Jeff Miller, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 The department deemed now the time to rehabilitate portions of Ohio 562 to prevent any danger in the future. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 The point of Putin’s revisionist history was to rehabilitate the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact, which culminated in Stalin’s participation in the partition of Poland and the massacres the Soviet and Nazi invasions precipitated. Noah Rothman, National Review, 12 Feb. 2024 Laura made the decision to help rehabilitate her mother, and the duo began going on walks near the beach in Los Angeles. Alex Gurley, Peoplemag, 3 Mar. 2024 The zoo staff has provided her with nutrients to help build back her calcium and a physical therapy plan to rehabilitate her muscles, the zoo said. Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2024 The Philippines is tapping the private sector to rehabilitate NAIA—which has been voted the world’s worst airport a few times by the travel website Sleeping In Airports—to ease the fiscal burden on the government. Jonathan Burgos, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rehabilitate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin rehabilitatus, past participle of rehabilitare, from Latin re- + Late Latin habilitare to habilitate

First Known Use

circa 1581, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of rehabilitate was circa 1581

Dictionary Entries Near rehabilitate

Cite this Entry

“Rehabilitate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rehabilitate. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

rehabilitate

verb
re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-(h)ə-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating
1
: to restore to a former status or reputation
2
a
: to restore to a state of efficiency, good management, or repair
rehabilitate slum areas
b
: to restore to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity
rehabilitate criminals
rehabilitation noun

Medical Definition

rehabilitate

transitive verb
re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-(h)ə-ˈbil-ə-ˌtāt How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating
: to restore or bring to a condition of health or useful and constructive activity
rehabilitate patients with hip fractures

Legal Definition

rehabilitate

transitive verb
re·​ha·​bil·​i·​tate ˌrē-ə-ˈbi-lə-ˌtāt, ˌrē-hə- How to pronounce rehabilitate (audio)
rehabilitated; rehabilitating
1
: to restore to a former capacity
specifically : to restore credibility to (a witness or testimony)
the State simply brought out all of the prior statements to qualify or explain the inconsistency and to rehabilitate the witness People v. Page, 550 N.E.2d 248 (1990)
compare impeach

Note: A witness whose trial testimony is inconsistent with his or her pretrial usually sworn statements is considered impeached. Such a witness may be rehabilitated usually on redirect examination. There are various state and federal evidentiary rules governing what evidence (as character evidence) is admissible to rehabilitate a witness.

2
a
: to restore to a former state (as of good repair or solvency)
if the debtor wishes to liquidate rather than reorganize or rehabilitate the farming operationJ. H. Williamson
b
: to restore (as a convicted criminal defendant) to a useful and constructive place in society through therapy, job training, and other counseling
rehabilitation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on rehabilitate

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