resuscitation

noun

re·​sus·​ci·​ta·​tion ri-ˌsə-sə-ˈtā-shən 

ˌrē-

plural resuscitations

: an act or process of resuscitating someone or something:

a

medical : the act or an instance of reviving someone from apparent death or from unconsciousness

The EMS response times were generally fast in both groups, but successful prehospital resuscitations were not associated with significantly shorter response times than those reported in cases of refractory cardiac arrest.

—Arthur L. Kellermann et al.

… resuscitation techniques differ from other procedures in medicine in that they are usually performed only in critical situations, and thus the opportunities to learn and practice them are inherently limited.

—Jeffrey P. Burns et al.

see also cardiopulmonary resuscitation

b

: the act or an instance of restoring someone or something to an active or flourishing state

Punk may not be dead, but it certainly could use some resuscitation. And that's where Anthrax comes in.

—Craig Tomashoff

His resuscitation is evident in the 1982 reissue of his autobiography, "An Artist in America."

—Grace Glueck

Synonyms

• reanimation
• rebirth
• regeneration
• rejuvenation
• rejuvenescence
• renewal
• resurgence
• resurrection
• revitalization
• revival
• revivification

Examples of resuscitation in a Sentence

the actor's appearance in a hit movie has led to the resuscitation of a career that had been on life support

Recent Examples on the Web

Despite the efforts of the group and park rangers flown in by helicopter, resuscitation attempts were unsuccessful, the NPS said. —Perry Vandell, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024

Bystanders and park service personnel were unsuccessful in their resuscitation attempts. —Vivian Barrett, The Arizona Republic, 17 June 2024

Get Citation Request Reprint Permissions Download Article After more than two years of trying and failing to restore the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, the Biden administration appears to have concluded that the agreement is beyond resuscitation. —Eric Brewer, Foreign Affairs, 9 June 2023

As in all proper plays, the resuscitation of the villain has awaited only the fall of the curtain, and indeed the immunity with which monopoly has survived its periodic assaults has been attributed to a variety of causes. —Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing resuscitation

• cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• mouth-to-mouth resuscitation

Kids Definition

resuscitation

noun

re·​sus·​ci·​ta·​tion

ri-ˌsəs-ə-ˈtā-shən

: an act or procedure that attempts to resuscitate

also : the state of being resuscitated compare cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Medical Definition

resuscitation

noun

re·​sus·​ci·​ta·​tion ri-ˌsəs-ə-ˈtā-shən, rē- 

: an act of resuscitating or the state of being resuscitated

resuscitation by means of artificial respiration or cardiac massage

see cardiopulmonary resuscitation