rebirth

rebirth — noun

1. a period when something that had declined or lost popularity becomes active, pop

1.nounB2
Definition

a period when something that had declined or lost popularity becomes active, popular, or successful again — for example, a city experiencing an economic rebirth, or a style of music having a rebirth of interest.

Example

The city's old market district is experiencing a cultural rebirth, with new galleries and cafes opening every month.

collocation: cultural rebirth / economic rebirth / urban rebirth

Jisoo thinks the recent rebirth of vinyl records shows that people still want physical music.

pattern: rebirth of [something]

Common collocations
  • cultural rebirth
  • economic rebirth
  • urban rebirth
  • undergo a rebirth
  • spark a rebirth
  • a rebirth of interest
  • a rebirth of optimism
Synonyms
  • revival

    more general and slightly more common; 'revival' can describe shorter-term recoveries

  • renaissance

    stronger implication of cultural or artistic flowering, often with a historical sense

  • resurgence

    emphasises a sudden or strong return after a period of weakness

Antonyms
  • decline

    the opposite process of becoming weaker or less popular

  • death

    final end of activity or popularity

Grammar Patterns

rebirth of [something]

[adjective] rebirth

Usage Note

Frequently modified by adjectives describing the area of revival: 'cultural rebirth', 'economic rebirth', 'urban rebirth'. Often paired with verbs like 'experience', 'undergo', 'spark', or 'mark'.

Common Mistakes

The company had a rebirth after losing money' (too vague).
The company underwent an economic rebirth after restructuring its debt.
'rebirth' works best when the decline and recovery are well-defined.

2. the process by which a soul or spirit enters a new body and begins another life

2.nounC1
Definition

the process by which a soul or spirit enters a new body and begins another life after death — a central idea in religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism.

Example

In many Eastern traditions, the cycle of rebirth continues until the soul reaches enlightenment.

collocation: cycle of rebirth

Aarav's grandmother taught him that rebirth depends on the actions of one's past life.

pattern: rebirth depends on [something]

Common collocations
  • cycle of rebirth
  • rebirth of the soul
  • the idea of rebirth
  • rebirth into a new form
Synonyms
  • reincarnation

    more specific and common in everyday English; 'rebirth' is more technical or poetic

  • metempsychosis

    a formal, academic term for the transmigration of souls

  • transmigration

    formal term emphasising the movement of the soul from one body to another

Antonyms
  • annihilation

    the idea that the soul ceases to exist after death

  • extinction

    complete end of existence with no continuation

Grammar Patterns

cycle of rebirth

rebirth into [something]

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (REVIVAL): sense 2 is strictly about the soul's journey after death, never used for cultural or economic trends. Distinguish from 'resurrection' (Christian concept of the same body being raised); 'rebirth' implies a new form.

Common Mistakes

Christians believe in rebirth after death.
Hindus and Buddhists believe in rebirth after death.
Christianity teaches resurrection (the body is raised), not rebirth into a new body.

3. a profound change in a person's religious beliefs or spiritual life that makes t

3.nounB2
Definition

a profound change in a person's religious beliefs or spiritual life that makes them feel as if they have started living in a completely new way — similar to being born again in Christian terms, but also used in non-religious contexts for a total inner transformation.

Example

After attending the retreat, Abigail described her emotional shift as a spiritual rebirth.

collocation: spiritual rebirth

Pim's journey toward spiritual rebirth began when he started volunteering at the shelter.

pattern: journey toward rebirth

Common collocations
  • spiritual rebirth
  • experience a rebirth
  • a sense of rebirth
  • journey toward rebirth
Synonyms
  • conversion

    more specific to changing religion; 'rebirth' can be spiritual without changing religion

  • regeneration

    formal, often used in theological writing

  • renewal

    broader and less intense; does not necessarily imply a complete transformation

Antonyms
  • damnation

    in religious contexts, the opposite of being saved or reborn

  • stagnation

    a state of no spiritual growth or change

Grammar Patterns

spiritual rebirth

experience [a] rebirth

[possessive] rebirth

Usage Note

Common in Evangelical Christian contexts ('born again'), but also used in recovery programs (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous) and personal-development writing. Unlike sense 2 (REINCARNATION), this sense does not involve physical death — it describes a transformation within one lifetime.

Common Mistakes

After her rebirth, she started a new job' (using 'rebirth' for a routine change).
After her spiritual rebirth, she completely changed her values and lifestyle.
'rebirth' implies a deep, life-altering transformation, not a normal life event.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe something returning after a period of weakness, but they differ in scope and nuance. 'Revival' is the most general term and can be used for almost any return to activity — a sports team can have a revival, a language can have a revival. 'Renaissance' carries a stronger cultural or artistic flavour, often suggesting a flowering of creativity across many fields (like the Italian Renaissance or a city's cultural renaissance). 'Resurgence' emphasises a sudden, forceful return after near-extinction — it is the most dramatic of the four and works well for political movements or diseases ('a resurgence of nationalism', 'a resurgence of measles'). 'Rebirth' (sense 1) sits between 'revival' and 'renaissance': it implies a deeper, more fundamental renewal than 'revival', but is less grand than 'renaissance'. For example, you might say 'the rebirth of a neighborhood' after decades of disinvestment, suggesting not just renewed business but a new identity and spirit.

revival ↗renaissance ↗resurgencerebirth ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • cycle of rebirth
  • experience a rebirth
  • undergo a rebirth
  • mark the rebirth of
  • rebirth of [interest / hope / a tradition]

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed by combining the prefix 're-' (meaning 'again') with the noun 'birth', which comes from Old English 'beran' (to bear or bring forth). The word first appeared in English around the 1500s and was used literally to mean being born again. Over time it developed metaphorical meanings for cultural revival (sense 1), reincarnation (sense 2), and spiritual transformation (sense 3).