reversal
n.-
1 a change in direction or policy (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea complete change in a situation, opinion, or way of doing things.
a change to an opposite direction, position, or course of action.
ExampleThe government's sudden reversal on tax policy surprised many voters.
ExampleThe board's decision represented a dramatic reversal of the strategy they had pursued for the previous decade.
- turnaround
- u turn
- shift
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2 a change in fortune (n.) C1 Advanced Formala 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.
ExampleThe company suffered a major financial reversal after the new product failed.
ExampleDespite several early reversals in his professional life, he eventually founded one of the most successful firms in the region.
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3 overturning a legal decision (n.) C1 Advanced Technical Formal Lawwhen 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.
ExampleThe lawyer is confident that the case will end in a reversal of the original verdict.
ExampleThe supreme court's reversal of the lower court's ruling established a significant precedent for future privacy cases.
From Middle English reversall; equivalent to reverse + -al.
From French réversal or Medieval Latin reversālis.