Skip to content

réhabiliter

to rehabilitate, to restore to good standing

verb reh-ah-bee-lee-TEH Rare
People & Society Law

Origin: Medieval Latin rehabilitare, to restore ability

Also means

to renovate (a building)

Usage Note

Réhabiliter is used in legal contexts to mean clearing someone's name or restoring their rights after a conviction, and in urban planning to mean renovating or restoring a building or neighbourhood. The derived noun is réhabilitation. In casual speech one might réhabiliter a food or a fashion trend, meaning to restore its good reputation.

Examples

"Le tribunal a réhabilité l'accusé après vingt ans."

Natural Translation

The court rehabilitated the accused after twenty years.

Explore French by topic