revitalize
ree-VY-tuh-lyz
/riːˈvaɪ.təl.aɪz/
To imbue something with new life, vigor, vitality, or activity.
Implies breathing fresh energy or financial strength into something that was previously stagnant, dying, or depleted.
The story behind the word. Formed from the Latin prefix 're-' (again) and 'vita' (life). Late 19th-century writers adopted it to describe restoring energy to exhausted organisms or institutions.
Word relationships
- reinvigorate: Reinvigorate stresses returning energy or strength, whereas revitalize emphasizes giving new life or vitality.
- reanimate: Reanimate carries a literal connotation of restoring life to dead matter, whereas revitalize is largely social or economic.
- stagnate: To cease developing, flowing, or progressing.
- deplete: To diminish or exhaust resources completely.
Commonly confused with
- renovate: Renovate refers strictly to repairing physical structures, while revitalize refers to bringing social or economic energy back.
Word family
- revitalization (noun): The process of renewing life or vitality.
- vitality (noun): The state of being strong and active; energy.
Collocations
- revitalize the economy
- revitalize the downtown area
- revitalize efforts
- revitalize neighborhood
Idioms & expressions
- breathe new life into
Example sentences
- "The city council launched a multi-million dollar plan to revitalize the historic downtown business corridor." Urban economic development
- "New pedestrian greenways helped revitalize public interest in neighborhood athletic activities." Public health and community policy
Memory hook
RE (again) + VITA (vital/life) = bringing life back again. Pumping fresh blood into a stagnant heart.
When not to use
Avoid using for minor or routine repairs; reserve it for broad, transformational renewals.
Fun facts
- Urban planners in the 1970s popularized 'revitalization' as a positive alternative to the controversial term 'urban renewal'.
Related words
Explore more words
revitalization, invigorate, rejuvenate, regenerative, restorative, stimulate
Also appears in
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