Meaning & use
rebirth
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountablefigurative
A fresh start or revival of something that had faded, such as a place, idea or way of life.
Grammar: Often singular with of: the rebirth of a city.
Patterns
- the rebirth of something
- a rebirth for someone
The old harbor district is experiencing a rebirth.
Spring brings a rebirth of color to the garden.
The festival marked a cultural rebirth for the town.
noununcountablereligion
In some religions, the passing of a soul into a new body after death.
Grammar: No plural in this sense: belief in rebirth.
Patterns
- cycle of rebirth
Buddhist teaching describes a cycle of death and rebirth.
Some traditions believe in rebirth after many lives.
The monk spoke about rebirth during the lecture.
Word forms
| plural | rebirths |
|---|
Common combinations
- spiritual rebirth
- The journey felt like a spiritual rebirth.
- cultural rebirth
- The city saw a cultural rebirth in the 1990s.
- economic rebirth
- The mill closure was followed by an economic rebirth.
- experience a rebirth
- The band experienced a rebirth after its reunion.
- cycle of rebirth
- The cycle of rebirth is central to the teaching.
Synonyms and how they differ
- revival
- Revival stresses bringing back something that had weakened, while rebirth suggests a stronger fresh start.
- renaissance
- Renaissance suggests a flowering of art or culture, usually on a larger scale.
- renewal
- Renewal means making something fresh again and need not feel dramatic.
- resurgence
- Resurgence focuses on a rise in popularity or strength.
Opposites
Word family
- birth noun
- the start of a life
- reborn adjective
- born again or revived
- born verb
- brought into life
- reincarnation noun
- rebirth of a soul in a new body
Commonly confused: rebirth or renaissance?
rebirth vs renaissance
Renaissance usually names the European cultural movement or a major flowering; rebirth is a broader, simpler word.
Practice
After the factory reopened as a studio, the neighborhood enjoyed a ______.
Choose one answer.
Rebirth means a new beginning after decline. The other nouns are real words but have unrelated meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rebirth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.