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reincarnation

UK/ˌɹiːɪŋkɑː(ɹ)ˈneɪʃən/US/ˌɹiːɪŋkɑː(ɹ)ˈneɪʃən/
nounB2+Common in everyday speech and writing · #7,442 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: reincarnations

Reincarnation is the belief that a soul returns in another body. Believe in reincarnation, a past life, reincarnation as an animal.

It is central to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, where the cycle of rebirth is something to be escaped rather than enjoyed — the goal is release from it. Loosely the word is used for anything that comes back in a new form. Note that it means being made flesh again, from the Latin caro, flesh.

Definitions of reincarnation

  1. 1nounreincarnationThe belief that a soul returns in another body.B2+

    “Believers in reincarnation say we may come back as an animal in our next life.”

reincarnation is a belief.

Where it comes from

  1. Ancient Greek

    εἶμι

  2. English

    ion

  3. English, today

    reincarnation

Built from

  • εἶμι · Ancient Greek — I go

From reincarnate + -ion. ion comes from Ancient Greek εἶμι. From the ending of anion and cation, which in turn is from Ancient Greek ἰόν (“going”), neuter present participle of εἶμι (“I go”). coined by William Whewell in 1834 for Michael Faraday, who introduced it later that year.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Belief & Ritual

Practise this word

reincarnation in the wild

  • In most beliefs involving reincarnation, the soul of a human being is immortal and does not disperse after the physical body has perished.

    Reincarnation

  • Recent scholarly research has explored the historical relations between different sects and their beliefs about reincarnation.

    Reincarnation

  • Stevenson was cautious in making claims about reincarnation.

    Ian Stevenson

  • Most advocates loosely adhere to beliefs about reincarnation.

    Past life regression

  • The version of reincarnation discussed is typically incompatible with common religious beliefs around reincarnation, specifically in relation to karma.

    Life Before Life

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.