rehabilitation
gb/ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/ us/ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/
B1
English
~ 5000
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
action
1
Process of recovery and healing
Help and treatment to make someone healthy or able again after they were sick, hurt, or addicted.
Usage pattern:
[someone] undergoes rehabilitation
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'rehabilitation' with 'recreation'; 'rehabilitation' is about recovery, not leisure activities.
Synonyms
recovery (Focuses on the state of being well again, rather than the structured process.)
|
restoration (More general; can apply to things as well as people.)
Antonyms
deterioration (Describes the process of becoming worse in health or condition.)
Collocations
physical rehabilitation
|drug rehabilitation
|rehabilitation program
|rehabilitation center
Themes
health
|medicine
|wellbeing
Examples
- After his accident, he spent six months in rehabilitation.
- The clinic specializes in the rehabilitation of stroke patients.
- She entered a drug rehabilitation program to overcome her addiction.
- Rehabilitation can take weeks or even years, depending on the injury.
- The hospital offers both inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services.
Learner examples
- He is in rehabilitation after his surgery.
- She went to a center for drug rehabilitation.
- Rehabilitation helped him walk again.
- The man started rehabilitation after a car crash.
Noun
B2
action
2
Restoring reputation or status
When someone’s bad image is made good again in the public’s view.
Usage pattern:
[someone] undergoes rehabilitation in the public eye
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse this with physical recovery; context is key to understanding it is about reputation, not health.
Synonyms
vindication (Implies proving innocence or correctness rather than improving image.)
|
restoration (General term that can apply to reputation but also to other things.)
Antonyms
defamation (The act of damaging someone's reputation.)
Collocations
political rehabilitation
|public rehabilitation
|reputation rehabilitation
Themes
society
|law
|media
|relationships
Examples
- The actor's public rehabilitation took years after the scandal.
- Political rehabilitation can be difficult after corruption charges.
- Her charity work was part of her image rehabilitation.
- The documentary contributed to his slow rehabilitation in the public eye.
Learner examples
- The singer worked on her rehabilitation after bad news.
- He wanted rehabilitation of his name after the trial.
- The company tried rehabilitation with a new ad campaign.
Noun
technical
B2
action
3
Restoring land or buildings
Fixing land, buildings, or nature so they can be used again.
Usage pattern:
[something] undergoes rehabilitation
Synonyms
restoration (Very close in meaning; often interchangeable in environmental contexts.)
|
revitalization (Emphasizes bringing new life or energy.)
Antonyms
neglect (Failure to care for or maintain something.)
Collocations
habitat rehabilitation
|building rehabilitation
|environmental rehabilitation
Themes
environment
|construction
|housing
|nature
Examples
- The city invested millions in the rehabilitation of old industrial sites.
- Habitat rehabilitation is crucial for endangered species.
- The rehabilitation of the park included planting new trees and cleaning the lake.
Learner examples
- The town started rehabilitation of the old bridge.
- They worked on the rehabilitation of the forest.
- Rehabilitation made the old building safe again.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rehabilitation
IPA
GB/ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/
US/ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/
Syllables & stress
re - hab - il - it - a - tion (6 syllables)
Stress on 5th syllable (a)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rehabilitation
- Plural: rehabilitation, rehabilitations
Word family
Forms
rehabilitations
noun
Core family
rehabilitate
verb
Related words
rehab
noun B2
rehabilitative
adjective
Advanced or less common
rehabilitator
noun
Expressions
drug rehabilitation
1/dɹˈʌɡ ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Treatment for drug addiction
A program that helps people stop using drugs and get healthy again.
Examples
- He checked into a drug rehabilitation center last year.
- Drug rehabilitation programs vary in length and approach.
physical rehabilitation
1/fˈɪzɪkəl ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
Therapy for physical recovery
Exercises and treatment to help someone move and use their body again after injury or illness.
Examples
- After surgery, she began physical rehabilitation immediately.
- Physical rehabilitation can take months for serious injuries.
rehabilitation center
1/ɹˌihəbˌɪlɪtˈeɪʃən sˈɛntɚ/
fixed phrase
Place for recovery treatment
A special building where people go to get help to get well after being sick, hurt, or addicted.
Examples
- He stayed at a rehabilitation center for three months.
- The city opened a new rehabilitation center for injured workers.