Word
restore
Phoneticsre·store, stress on the second syllable
/ɹɪˈstɔɹ/
Definitions
01to repair or renovate
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to repair something old so that it looks and works like it did when it was new.
v. to return an object or building to its former condition through careful repair or renovation.
日本語:修復する※
“The museum spent years trying to restore the old painting to its original beauty.”
“The historical society raised funds to restore the Victorian mansion, ensuring that every architectural detail matched the original 1885 blueprints.”
Usage
Often used with 'to' to indicate the target state.
02to re-establish a situation
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to bring back a law, a feeling, or a situation that existed before.
v. to re-establish or reinstate a previous practice, law, or state of affairs.
日本語:回復する※
“The police worked hard to restore order after the protest ended.”
“The new administration promised to restore public confidence in the banking system by introducing stricter transparency requirements.”
03to recover computer data
B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing Technical
v. to put information back onto a computer from a saved copy.
v. to recover files or system settings from a backup or previous state.
日本語:復元する※
“I had to restore my phone from a backup after it crashed.”
“The IT department managed to restore the database to its state before the ransomware attack, minimizing the loss of customer records.”
04to return an item
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to give something back to its rightful owner.
v. to return something that was lost or taken to its original owner or place.
“The stolen jewels were eventually restored to the royal family.”
“International law often requires that looted cultural artifacts be restored to their country of origin.”
Teaching tip
In everyday English, people usually say 'give back' or 'return' instead of 'restore' for physical objects.
05a data recovery
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. the act of putting saved information back onto a computer.
n. the process of recovering data or system configurations from a backup source.
“The system restore took about twenty minutes to complete.”
“After the server failure, the administrator initiated a full restore of the primary partition to ensure service continuity.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “restore” in context.
Verb
01. restore equilibrium
“The therapist recommended breathing exercises to help restore equilibrium after the stressful event.”
verb + noun
Real-World Examples
“South East Water says its teams are exhausted as it tries to restore water to areas in Kent.” “Beyond the income, there is also pride in helping restore a neighbourhood.” Etymology
From Middle English restoren, from Old French restorer, from Latin rēstaurāre. By surface analysis, re- + store.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- 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
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/restore
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0