English Reference
Noun

rehabilitation

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced Oxford US /ˌɹiəˌbɪɫəˈteɪʃən/ UK /ɹɪhəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/ re·ha·bil·i·ta·tion UK spelling rehabilitations Psychology

n.the process of helping someone return to a healthy or normal life after an illness, injury, or time in prison. It focuses on teaching new skills or fixing old problems so the person can succeed again.

n.the process of restoring someone to health or normal life through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness. Often implies a structured program of psychological or physical recovery.


SIMPLE

The athlete is undergoing rehabilitation for a serious knee injury.

CONTEXTUAL

The prison's new focus on rehabilitation includes vocational training and mental health counseling for all inmates.

COMPLEX

Effective rehabilitation requires a multidisciplinary approach that addresses both the physiological damage and the psychological barriers to social reintegration.

Usage

Often used in the shortened form 'rehab' in informal contexts; frequently follows the verbs 'undergo' or 'complete'.

It is providing shelter rehabilitation, restoration of basic services, legal and civil documentation, housing, land and property assistance, livelihoods programmes and cash assistance.

UN News· 13 Aug 2026

Is the government just accepting that there is no room for rehabilitation in prisons that were designed to offer it to people held there?

The Guardian· 13 Aug 2026

Common in health and culture writing


From Middle French réhabilitation, from Medieval Latin rehabilitatio.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin la-med rehabilitatio
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Frequent
Updated