reversal
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
a complete change in a situation, opinion, or way of doing things.
a change to an opposite direction, position, or course of action.
Simple“The government's sudden reversal on tax policy surprised many voters.”
In context“The board's decision represented a dramatic reversal of the strategy they had pursued for the previous decade.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 C1 Advanced
a change from being successful to having problems or losing money.
a change from a state of prosperity or success to one of hardship or failure.
Simple“The company suffered a major financial reversal after the new product failed.”
In context“Despite several early reversals in his professional life, he eventually founded one of the most successful firms in the region.”
Synonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
when a higher court decides that a previous legal decision was wrong.
the act of an appellate court setting aside or overturning the decision of a lower court.
Simple“The lawyer is confident that the case will end in a reversal of the original verdict.”
In context“The supreme court's reversal of the lower court's ruling established a significant precedent for future privacy cases.”
SynonymsAntonyms
“Here it was a case of role‑reversal, Eze shining after coming on for the second half in place of Christos Tzolis, who was booked after a foul on Cash and muted.”
“The decision to fire Espinoza, however, marks a reversal for the Paz government.”
From Middle English reversall; equivalent to reverse + -al.
From French réversal or Medieval Latin reversālis.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.