revival

noun

re·​viv·​al ri-ˈvī-vəl 

1

: an act or instance of reviving : the state of being revived: such as

a

: renewed attention to or interest in something

b

: a new presentation or publication of something old

c(1)

: a period of renewed religious interest

(2)

: an often highly emotional evangelistic meeting or series of meetings

2

: restoration of force, validity, or effect (as to a contract)

Synonyms

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

Examples of revival in a Sentence

a revival of biographical writing

a revival in Gothic architecture

Fashions from the 1970s are enjoying a revival.

The city is showing signs of revival.

There are three musical revivals on Broadway this season.

The opera company is staging a revival of Verdi's Don Carlos.

Recent Examples on the Web

The music endows the revival with a fluidity that is made all the more haunting by the otherworldly echoes of Peter Rice’s sound design. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2025

In addition to a lengthy film career, Washington has previously starred on Broadway in A Raisin in the Sun and Fences, opposite Viola Davis, Julius Cesar, Checkmates and most recently, the 2018 revival of Iceman Cometh, in a large cast that also included Austin Butler. —Caitlin Huston, The Hollywood Reporter, 11 Mar. 2025

Its special effects budget might have been little more than peanuts and later episodes veered into campy silliness but nevertheless, the series had a devoted family following in its three-season, 83-episode existence from 1965-1968 and a healthy revival in syndication. —Jeff Spry, Space.com, 11 Mar. 2025

Well, that depends on whether the revival can resonate with audiences as well as the original did. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing revival

• revival meeting

Rhymes for revival

• archival
• arrival
• survival
• conjunctival
• rival
• subconjunctival

Kids Definition

revival

noun

re·​viv·​al ri-ˈvī-vəl 

1

: a reviving of interest (as in art, literature, or religion)

2

: a new presentation or publication (as of a book, play, or movie)

3

: a new growth or increase

a revival of business

4

: a meeting or series of meetings conducted by a preacher to arouse religious emotions or to make converts

Legal Definition

revival

noun

re·​vi·​val ri-ˈvī-vəl 

: an act or instance of reviving