Rehabilitate: meaning, definitions and examples

Used when referring to helping someone recover from illness, addiction, or other challenges, and also when repairing or upgrading something to a better condition.

• The clinic aims to rehabilitate patients who have suffered severe injuries.
• Efforts are underway to rehabilitate the old factory into a community center.

Used when bringing something back to its former condition, often used for buildings, art, and systems.

• The committee plans to restore the historic building to its original glory.
• The painting was carefully restored by an expert conservator.

Typically used when making something valid again, refreshing, or starting something over. Often used for documents, agreements, or energy.

• I need to renew my passport before the trip.
• He felt renewed energy after a good night's sleep.

Used when taking back or restoring something to its original state, often with an emphasis on ownership or rights.

• They are working to reclaim the land that was lost to erosion.
• She managed to reclaim her title after a tough battle.

This word appears twice in the prompt, but it shares the same context as previously described.

• The wildlife center aims to rehabilitate injured animals.

Commonly used when discussing making changes to improve something, particularly social systems, organizations, or behavior. It can carry a negative connotation if it implies strict control or punishment.

• The government introduced policies to reform the healthcare system.
• He wanted to reform his life after years of reckless behavior.

Best suited for situations where you are recovering or retrieving something that was lost, or converting waste land into useful land.

• The family seeks to reclaim their property after the legal dispute.
• Efforts are being made to reclaim the desert for agricultural use.

This is appropriate when referring to rebuilding something that has been destroyed or significantly damaged.

• The city plans to reconstruct the bridge destroyed by the flood.
• Historians aim to reconstruct the events leading up to the war.