Meaning & use
resurrection
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Meanings
noununcountablereligion
The act of coming back to life after death, especially in religious belief.
Grammar: Often with the: the resurrection of Jesus.
Patterns
- the resurrection of someone
Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus in Christian belief.
Many ancient cultures told stories of resurrection after death.
The painting shows the resurrection of the dead on the last day.
nounsingularfigurative
A return to popularity, use, or strength after a period of decline.
Grammar: Usually used with a: a resurrection of old styles.
Patterns
- a resurrection of something
The old theater enjoyed a resurrection when it became a music venue.
The band's resurrection came with a hit single in 2023.
Her career saw a surprising resurrection after the documentary.
Word forms
| plural | resurrections |
|---|
Common combinations
- the resurrection of Christ
- The sermon focused on the resurrection of Christ.
- economic resurrection
- The city's economic resurrection began with the new port.
- political resurrection
- His political resurrection surprised everyone.
- experience a resurrection
- Vinyl records have experienced a resurrection in recent years.
- belief in resurrection
- Their belief in resurrection brought comfort.
Synonyms and how they differ
- revival
- Revival is the everyday word for bringing something back, while resurrection suggests a more dramatic return from near-death.
- comeback
- A comeback is informal and often used for people in sport or entertainment.
- rebirth
- Rebirth stresses a new beginning, whereas resurrection suggests the original thing returns.
- renaissance
- Renaissance suggests a broad flowering of culture or an art form.
Opposites
Word family
- resurrect verb
- to bring back to life or use
- resurrected adjective
- brought back
- resurrectionist noun
- a person who robbed graves in the past
Commonly confused: resurrection or reincarnation?
resurrection vs reincarnation
Reincarnation is the belief that a soul is born again in a new body, whereas resurrection means rising again in the same form.
Practice
A critic calls a singer's new album a resurrection of her career. What does this mean?
Choose one answer.
Resurrection here is figurative and means a return after decline. It does not describe an end, a start, or a religious change.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “resurrection”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.