restoration

noun

res·​to·​ra·​tion ˌre-stə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce restoration (audio)
Synonyms of restoration
1
: an act of restoring or the condition of being restored: such as
a
: a bringing back to a former position or condition : reinstatement
the restoration of peace
b
: restitution
c
: a restoring to an unimpaired or improved condition
the restoration of a painting
d
: the replacing of missing teeth or crowns
2
: something that is restored
especially : a representation or reconstruction of the original form (as of a fossil or a building)
3
Restoration
a
: the reestablishing of the monarchy in England in 1660 under Charles II
b
: the period in English history usually held to coincide with the reign of Charles II but sometimes to extend through the reign of James II

Examples of restoration in a Sentence

The building is undergoing restoration. the restoration of peace after war the restoration of law and order by the police The town called for a restoration of the law.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What followed was a meticulous restoration focused on preserving the original structures and historical details, and eventually, the addition of a couple of new buildings in the same vernacular to accommodate larger suites. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Oct. 2026 Pay attention to which financial accounts qualify for monitoring and whether the service offers restoration assistance if identity theft occurs. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026 Earlier this year, a restoration of the suite was unveiled returning every element of the suite to its original 1953 brilliance. — Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026 After the fracking boom, some pipeline developers raced for market share and cut corners on siting, restoration and appearance. — Neil Chatterjee, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for restoration

Word History

Etymology

Middle English restoracioun, restoracion, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin restaurātiōn-, restaurātiō "renewal, restoration of a condition," from restaurāre "to return to its former condition, restore" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of restoration was in the 14th century

Rhymes for restoration

See All Rhymes for restoration

Browse Nearby Words

restoral
restoration
restorationer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Restoration.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/restoration. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

restoration

noun
res·​to·​ra·​tion ˌres-tə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce restoration (audio)
1
: an act of restoring or the condition of being restored
2
: something (as a building) that has been restored

Medical Definition

restoration

noun
res·​to·​ra·​tion ˌres-tə-ˈrā-shən How to pronounce restoration (audio)
: the act of restoring or the condition of being restored: as
a
: a returning to a normal or healthy condition
b
: the replacing of missing teeth or crowns
also : a dental replacement (as a denture) used for restoration

More from Merriam-Webster on restoration

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for restoration

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about restoration

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All