Word
rejoin
Phoneticsre·join, stress on the second syllable
/ɹiˈdʒɔɪn/
Definitions
01to return to a group
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to go back to a person or a group of people after you have been away from them.
v. to return to the company of a person or group after a period of separation.
“After making a quick phone call, he went back inside to rejoin his friends at the table.”
“The diplomat took a brief leave of absence to attend to family matters before traveling to Brussels to rejoin the negotiating team.”
Synonyms
02to connect again
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to join two or more things together again after they were separated.
v. to unite or connect physical parts or entities again after a period of disjunction.
“The plumber had to rejoin the two pipes after fixing the leak.”
“The surgeon worked meticulously to rejoin the severed nerves, hoping to restore full sensation to the patient's hand.”
03to reply sharply
C2 · Proficiency Literary · Archaic
v. to say something in answer to what someone else has just said, often quickly or sharply.
v. to state something in reply, particularly as a quick or witty response to a statement.
“"I certainly will not," she rejoined when he asked her to lie for him.”
“He was known for his sharp wit, often rejoining with a clever remark that left his opponents speechless during the debate.”
04legal response
C2 · Proficiency Law Technical · Formal
v. to provide a formal answer in a court case, usually from the person being sued.
v. to answer as a defendant to a plaintiff's replication in a legal proceeding.
“The defendant's lawyer prepared to rejoin to the new evidence presented by the other side.”
“Under the rules of civil procedure, the defendant was permitted to rejoin only after the plaintiff had filed a formal replication to the initial plea.”
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object representing the group or entity being joined again.
Real-World Examples
“I am confident that if we incentivised UK students to try social care before university, many would consider rejoining once they had graduated.” “However, he rejoined when his old friend Jeremy Corbyn became leader in 2015.” Etymology
From Middle English rejoynen, partly from Middle French rejoin- (stem of rejoindre, from re- (“again”) + joindre (“to join”)) and partly from re- + joynen. By surface analysis, re- + join. Doublet of rejoinder.
From Middle English rejoynen, from Middle French rejoin- (stem of rejoindre, from re- (“again”) + joindre (“to join”)). By surface analysis, re- + join. Doublet of rejoinder.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/rejoin