reinstate

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

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

Solo Sikoa received a huge face reaction in his tag team victory, while Nick Aldis was reinstated as SmackDown GM despite a loss to Gunther. — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026

Both will be reinstated to their previous rank of corporal and will receive back pay and benefits. — Kelsy Mittauer, CBS News, 1 Aug. 2026

Howard University reinstated roughly 200 of the 502 incoming students who were suddenly unenrolled last week, its interim president said Wednesday. — Sophia Solano, Washington Post, 31 July 2026

In South Carolina’s 1876 gubernatorial race, the Democratic candidate, Confederate veteran Wade Hampton III, emerged triumphant and reinstated white supremacy as the fulcrum of state governance. — Jacob Ware, The Conversation, 31 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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