# rejoin

/ɹiˈdʒɔɪn/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/rejoin
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to return to a group

verb · CEFR B2

to go back to a person or a group of people after you have been away from them.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: This is a transitive verb that takes a direct object.

### 2. to connect again

verb · CEFR B2

to join two or more things together again after they were separated.

For teachers: 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.

### 3. to reply sharply

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to say something in answer to what someone else has just said, often quickly or sharply.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. legal response

verb · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

to provide a formal answer in a court case, usually from the person being sued.

For teachers: 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: Used as an intransitive verb in this specific legal context.

## Examples

- She decided to rejoin the team after her injury healed.
- After spending two years working in the private sector, he chose to rejoin his former department at the university.
- The nation struggled for decades with economic isolation before finally meeting the stringent requirements necessary to rejoin the international trade alliance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.