rebirth means reincarnation; new birth subsequent to one's first.
rebirth is pronounced /ɹiːˈbɜːθ/.
Why “rebirth” is a great word
A new or second birth, especially the spiritual renewal of an individual or the revival of an idea, movement, or activity. From the English prefix re- ("again") + birth ("the act or process of being born"), first attested in 1812 in the sense of 'reincarnation' and in 1833 for 'renewed life or activity'. Unlike "renaissance," which denotes a specific, often historical, period of cultural flourishing, or "reincarnation," which implies the metaphysical journey of a soul, rebirth is the quiet, general term for any kind of renewal. It is a crocus breaking cold soil, a long-dormant language spoken again by grandchildren, a city waking to sunlight after a long rain—the simple, persistent fact that in a world of constant endings, some things are permitted to begin again.
Etymology
From re- + birth.
noun
- Reincarnation; new birth subsequent to one's first.e.g.“A theistic version of the above doctrine of transmigratory existence is presented best in the Bhagavadgitā which compares the rebirth of the soul in another body to changing of clothes, […]” — 1989, Saral Jhingran, Aspects of Hindu morality, page 35:
- Revival, reinvigoration.
- Spiritual renewal.e.g.“The rebirth of Baptism affirms that Christ the healer shares our life.” — 2000, Joseph Stoutzenberger, Celebrating Sacraments, page 132:
verb
- To cause to be born again, spiritually renewed, or revived.e.g.“D’Alessandro fashioned it upon a book he wrote, the lost stories he rebirthed and cherished.” — 2011, John Trevillian, The A-Men Return, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leics.: Matador, →ISBN, page 196:
- To be born again, spiritually renewed, or revived.e.g.“As I rebirthed and did the LRT, I began to love and accept myself as a woman.” — 1991, Rhonda Levand, “[Celebrating Our Sexuality] Balancing Male and Female Energy”, in Sexual Evolution: How Your Birth and Rebirth Affect Your Sexuality & What to Do About It, Berkeley, Calif.: Cele
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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