rehabilitate
/ɹiː(h)əˈbɪlɪteɪt/
rehabilitate means to restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, rehabilitate ranks #2,517 of 14,440 for Most Satisfying to Say, #3,660 of 14,308 for Most Malleable Words, #7,082 of 14,423 for Most Sublime Words, #7,152 of 14,445 for Most Beautiful Words.
rehabilitate is pronounced /ɹiː(h)əˈbɪlɪteɪt/.
Why “rehabilitate” is a great word
To restore someone or something to a former state of good condition, standing, or capacity. From Medieval Latin rehabilitātus, past participle of rehabilitāre, from Latin re- ("again") + habilitāre ("to make fit, enable"), first attested in English in the 1580s. Unlike "restore," which often implies a passive return to an original state, or "habilitate," which means to equip anew, "rehabilitate" insists on an active process of training, therapy, or vindication to regain what was lost. It is the methodical physiotherapy that teaches a wounded limb to move, the patient legal appeal that returns a reputation to good standing, and the careful reintroduction of a native species to its ancestral land—a quiet, deliberate fight against the entropy of damage.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Medieval Latin rehabilitātus, perfect passive participle of Latin rehabilitō. See habilitate.
verb
- To restore (someone) to their former state, reputation, possessions, status etc.
- To vindicate; to restore the reputation or image of (a person, concept etc.).
- To return (something) to its original condition.
- To restore or repair (a vehicle, building); to make habitable or usable again.“Cumaratunga was so furious that he intensified his campaign for revitalizing the traditional practices of asweddumization, so that neglected arable land could be rehabilitated, and a degenerating economy restructured and rejuvenated.”
- To restore to (a criminal etc.) the necessary training and education to allow for a successful reintegration into society; to retrain.
- To return (someone) to good health after illness, addiction, etc.“Patty Wahlers, 40, is the founder and director of Horse of Connecticut, an organization situated on a 46-acre farm in Washington that rescues and rehabilitates neglected horses and puts them up for adoption.”
- To go through such a process; to recover.“Truman made us all feel welcome and relaxed as we shook hands with him. We sat around the desk, and he spoke very earnestly about the necessity of rehabilitating Europe and emphasized his concern that peaceful German production should be encouraged.”
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