reinstate

verb

re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
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 How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After Elon Musk bought Twitter, now known as X, Yiannopoulos had his account reinstated and remained prolific online. — Eduardo Cuevas, CNN Money, 29 Aug. 2026 Deputy Director of Litigation Gadeir Abbas said on Friday that the organization will continue to fight to have her be reinstated as a Fort Worth ISD principal. — Lina Ruiz, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 Trump has continued to meddle with the Fed, including reinstating an effort on weak evidence to fire Governor Lisa Cook. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026 Since then, Iran has resumed attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and the US has reinstated its naval blockade of Iranian ports. — Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for reinstate

Word History

First Known Use

1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reinstate was in 1616

Rhymes for reinstate

See All Rhymes for reinstate

Browse Nearby Words

reinstall
reinstate
reinstatement
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Reinstate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reinstate. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

reinstate

verb
re·​in·​state ˌrē-ən-ˈstāt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
reinstated; reinstating
: to place again in a former position or condition
reinstate an official
reinstatement
-mənt How to pronounce reinstate (audio)
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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