3 VERB If someone is rejected for a job or course of study, it is not offered to them. □ [be V -ed] One of my most able students was rejected by another university. [Also V n] ● re|jec|tion N‑COUNT □ Be prepared for lots of rejections before you land a job.
4 VERB If someone rejects another person who expects affection from them, they are cold and unfriendly towards them. □ [be V -ed] …people who had been rejected by their lovers. ● re|jec|tion N‑VAR □ These feelings of rejection and hurt remain.
5 VERB If a person's body rejects something such as a new heart that has been transplanted into it, it tries to attack and destroy it. □ [V n] It was feared his body was rejecting a kidney he received in a transplant four years ago. ● re|jec|tion N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …a special drug which stops rejection of transplanted organs.
6 VERB If a machine rejects a coin that you put in it, the coin comes out and the machine does not work.
7 N‑COUNT A reject is a product that has not been accepted for use or sale, because there is something wrong with it.
re|jig /riː dʒ I g/ (rejigs , rejigging , rejigged ) VERB If someone rejigs an organization or a piece of work, they arrange or organize it in a different way, in order to improve it. [BRIT ] □ [V n] …adjustments needed to rejig the industry. in AM, use rejigger
re|jig|ger /riː dʒ I gə r / (rejiggers , rejiggering , rejiggered ) VERB If someone rejiggers an organization or a piece of work, they arrange or organize it in a different way, in order to improve it. [AM ] □ [V n] The government is rejiggering some tax assessment methods. in BRIT, use rejig
re|joice /r I dʒɔ I s/ (rejoices , rejoicing , rejoiced ) VERB If you rejoice , you are very pleased about something and you show it in your behaviour. □ [V + in/at ] Garbo plays the Queen, rejoicing in the love she has found with Antonio. □ [V that] Party activists rejoiced that the presidential campaign had finally started. [Also V ] ● re|joic|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ at ] There was general rejoicing at the news.
re|join /riː dʒɔ I n/ (rejoins , rejoining , rejoined )
1 VERB If you rejoin a group, club, or organization, you become a member of it again after not being a member for a period of time. □ [V n] He rejoined the 12th Lancers on recovery from his wounds. [Also V ]
2 VERB If you rejoin someone, you go back to them after a short time away from them. □ [V n] Mimi and her family went off to Tunisia to rejoin her father.
3 VERB If you rejoin a route, you go back to it after travelling along a different route for a time. □ [V n] At Dorset Wharf go left to rejoin the river.
re|join|der /r I dʒɔ I ndə r / (rejoinders ) N‑COUNT A rejoinder is a reply, especially a quick, witty, or critical one, to a question or remark. [FORMAL ]
re|ju|venate /r I dʒuː vəne I t/ (rejuvenates , rejuvenating , rejuvenated )
1 VERB If something rejuvenates you, it makes you feel or look young again. □ [V n] Shelley was advised that the Italian climate would rejuvenate him. ● re|ju|venat|ing ADJ □ The hotel's new Spa offers every kind of rejuvenating treatment and therapy.
2 VERB If you rejuvenate an organization or system, you make it more lively and more efficient, for example by introducing new ideas. □ [V n] The government pushed through schemes to rejuvenate the inner cities. ● re|ju|vena|tion /r I dʒuː vəne I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The way Britain organises its politics needs rejuvenation.
re|kin|dle /riː k I nd ə l/ (rekindles , rekindling , rekindled )
1 VERB If something rekindles an interest, feeling, or thought that you used to have, it makes you think about it or feel it again. □ [V n] Every return visit rekindles fantastic memories.
2 VERB If something rekindles an unpleasant situation, it makes the unpleasant situation happen again. □ [V n] There are fears that the series could rekindle animosity between the two countries.
re|lapse /r I læ ps/ (relapses , relapsing , relapsed ) The noun can be pronounced /r I læ ps/ or /riː læps/. 1 VERB If you say that someone relapses into a way of behaving that is undesirable, you mean that they start to behave in that way again. □ [V + into ] 'I wish I did,' said Phil Jordan, relapsing into his usual gloom. ● N‑COUNT Relapse is also a noun. □ [+ into ] …a relapse into the nationalism of the nineteenth century.
2 VERB If a sick person relapses , their health suddenly gets worse after it had been improving. □ [V ] In 90 per cent of cases the patient will relapse within six months. ● N‑VAR Relapse is also a noun. □ The treatment is usually given to women with a high risk of relapse after surgery.
re|late ◆◇◇ /r I le I t/ (relates , relating , related )
1 VERB If something relates to a particular subject, it concerns that subject. □ [V + to ] Other recommendations relate to the details of how such data is stored.
2 VERB The way that two things relate , or the way that one thing relates to another, is the sort of connection that exists between them. □ [V + to ] The course investigates how language relates to particular cultural codes. □ [V n + to ] He felt the need to relate his experience to that of people from different cultures. □ [V n] …a paper in which the writer tries to relate his linguistic and political views. □ [V ] At the end, we have a sense of names, dates, and events but no sense of how they relate.
3 VERB If you can relate to someone, you can understand how they feel or behave so that you are able to communicate with them or deal with them easily. □ [V + to ] He is unable to relate to other people. □ [V ] When people are cut off from contact with others, they lose all ability to relate.
4 VERB If you relate a story, you tell it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + to ] There were officials to whom he could relate the whole story. □ [V n] She related her tale of living rough. SYNONYMS relate VERB
1
concern: The bulk of the book concerns Sandy's two middle-aged children.
refer to: The term electronics refers to electrically-induced action.
pertain to: I would much rather that you asked Mrs Zuckerman any questions pertaining to herself.
4
tell: He told his story to The Sunday Times and produced photographs.
recount: He then recounted the story of the interview for his first job.
describe: Just before his death he described seeing their son in a beautiful garden.
report: 'He seems to be all right now,' reported a relieved Taylor.
re|lat|ed ◆◇◇ /r I le I t I d/
1 ADJ If two or more things are related , there is a connection between them. □ The philosophical problems of chance and of free will are closely related.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] People who are related belong to the same family. □ [+ to ] …people in countries like Bangladesh who have been able to show they are related to a spouse or parent living in Britain.
3 ADJ If you say that different types of things, such as languages, are related , you mean that they developed from the same language. □ [+ to ] Sanskrit is related very closely to Latin, Greek, and the Germanic and Celtic languages. □ …closely related species. SYNONYMS related ADJ 1
associated: Rap groups have been associated with vandalism.
linked: Liver cancer is linked to the hepatitis B virus.
connected: They are not connected with our company.
-related /-r I le I t I d/ COMB [usu ADJ n] -related combines with nouns to form adjectives with the meaning 'connected with the thing referred to by the noun'. □ …performance-related pay.
re|la|tion ◆◆◇ /r I le I ʃ ə n/ (relations )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Relations between people, groups, or countries are contacts between them and the way in which they behave towards each other. □ Greece has established full diplomatic relations with Israel.
2 → see also industrial relations , public relations , race relations
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you talk about the relation of one thing to another, you are talking about the ways in which they are connected. □ [+ of ] It is a question of the relation of ethics to economics.
4 N‑COUNT Your relations are the members of your family. □ …visits to friends and relations.
5 → see also poor relation
6 PHRASE You can talk about something in relation to something else when you want to compare the size, condition, or position of the two things. □ The money he'd been ordered to pay was minimal in relation to his salary.
7 PHRASE If something is said or done in relation to a subject, it is said or done in connection with that subject. □ …a question which has been asked many times in relation to Irish affairs. SYNONYMS relation NOUN
3
link: …the link between smoking and lung cancer.
similarity: She is also 25 and a native of Birmingham, but the similarity ends there.
connection: He has denied any connection to the bombing.
4
relative: Get a relative to look after the children.
family: Her family came to Los Angeles at the turn of the century.
re|la|tion|ship ◆◆◇ /r I le I ʃ ə nʃ I p/ (relationships )
1 N‑COUNT The relationship between two people or groups is the way in which they feel and behave towards each other. □ …the friendly relationship between France and Britain. □ …family relationships.
2 N‑COUNT A relationship is a close friendship between two people, especially one involving romantic or sexual feelings. □ Both of us felt the relationship wasn't really going anywhere.
3 N‑COUNT The relationship between two things is the way in which they are connected. □ [+ between/of ] There is a relationship between diet and cancer. [Also + to ] SYNONYMS relationship NOUN
2
affair: She was having an affair with someone at work.
romance: …a holiday romance.
fling: She claims she had a brief fling with him 30 years ago.
liaison: She embarked on a series of liaisons with society figures.
3
connection: The police say he had no connection with the security forces.
bond: The experience created a very special bond between us.
association: The association between the two companies stretches back thirty years.
rela|tive ◆◇◇ /re lət I v/ (relatives )
1 N‑COUNT Your relatives are the members of your family. □ Get a relative to look after the children.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use relative to say that something is true to a certain degree, especially when compared with other things of the same kind. □ The fighting resumed after a period of relative calm.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] You use relative when you are comparing the quality or size of two things. □ They chatted about the relative merits of London and Paris as places to live.
4 PHRASE Relative to something means with reference to it or in comparison with it. □ Japanese interest rates rose relative to America's.
5 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that something is relative , you mean that it needs to be considered and judged in relation to other things. □ Fitness is relative; one must always ask 'Fit for what?'.
6 N‑COUNT If one animal, plant, language, or invention is a relative of another, they have both developed from the same type of animal, plant, language, or invention. □ [+ of ] The pheasant is a close relative of the Guinea hen. SYNONYMS relative NOUN 1
relation: …visits to friends and relations.
kin: She has gone to live with her husband's kin.
family: Her family came to Los Angeles at the turn of the century.
re la|tive clau se (relative clauses ) N‑COUNT In grammar, a relative clause is a subordinate clause which specifies or gives information about a person or thing. Relative clauses come after a noun or pronoun and, in English, often begin with a relative pronoun such as 'who', 'which', or 'that'.
rela|tive|ly ◆◇◇ /re lət I vli/ ADV [ADV adj/adv] Relatively means to a certain degree, especially when compared with other things of the same kind. □ The sums needed are relatively small. SYNONYMS relatively ADV 1
comparatively: …a comparatively small nation.
rather: I grew up in rather unusual circumstances.
somewhat: He concluded that Oswald was somewhat abnormal.
re la|tive pro |noun (relative pronouns ) N‑COUNT A relative pronoun is a word such as 'who', 'that', or 'which' that is used to introduce a relative clause. 'Whose', 'when', 'where', and 'why' are generally called relative pronouns , though they are actually adverbs.
rela|tiv|ism /re lət I v I zəm/ N‑UNCOUNT Relativism is the belief that the truth is not always the same but varies according to circumstances. □ Traditionalists may howl, but in today's world, cultural relativism rules.
rela|tiv|ist /re lət I v I st/ (relativists ) ADJ A relativist position or argument is one according to which the truth is not always the same, but varies according to circumstances. □ He took a relativist position - what is considered immoral depends on the social structure.
rela|tiv|ity /re lət I v I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT The theory of relativity is Einstein's theory concerning space, time, and motion. [TECHNICAL ]
re|launch /ri ːlɔ ːntʃ/ (relaunches , relaunching , relaunched ) VERB To relaunch something such as a company, a product, or a scheme means to start it again or to produce it in a different way. □ [V n] He is hoping to relaunch his film career. ● N‑COUNT Relaunch is also a noun. □ Football kit relaunches are simply a way of boosting sales.
re|lax ◆◇◇ /r I læ ks/ (relaxes , relaxing , relaxed )
1 VERB If you relax or if something relaxes you, you feel more calm and less worried or tense. □ [V ] I ought to relax and stop worrying about it. □ [V n] Do something that you know relaxes you.
2 VERB When a part of your body relaxes , or when you relax it, it becomes less stiff or firm. □ [V n] Massage is used to relax muscles, relieve stress and improve the circulation. □ [V ] His face relaxes into a contented smile.
3 VERB If you relax your grip or hold on something, you hold it less tightly than before. □ [V n] He gradually relaxed his grip on the arms of the chair.
4 VERB If you relax a rule or your control over something, or if it relaxes , it becomes less firm or strong. □ [V ] Rules governing student conduct relaxed somewhat in recent years. □ [V n] How much can the President relax his grip over the nation?
5 → see also relaxed , relaxing
re|laxa|tion /riː lækse I ʃ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Relaxation is a way of spending time in which you rest and feel comfortable. □ You should be able to find the odd moment for relaxation.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If there is relaxation of a rule or control, it is made less firm or strong. □ [+ of/in ] …the relaxation of travel restrictions.
re|laxed /r I læ kst/
1 ADJ If you are relaxed , you are calm and not worried or tense. □ As soon as I had made the final decision, I felt a lot more relaxed.
2 ADJ If a place or situation is relaxed , it is calm and peaceful. □ The atmosphere at lunch was relaxed.
re|lax|ing /r I læ ks I ŋ/ ADJ Something that is relaxing is pleasant and helps you to relax. □ I find cooking very relaxing.
re|lay (relays , relaying , relayed ) The noun is pronounced /riː le I /. The verb is pronounced /r I le I /. 1 N‑COUNT A relay or a relay race is a race between two or more teams, for example teams of runners or swimmers. Each member of the team runs or swims one section of the race. □ Britain's prospects of beating the United States in the relay looked poor.
2 VERB To relay television or radio signals means to send them or broadcast them. □ [V n] The satellite will be used mainly to relay television programmes. □ [V n + to/from ] This system monitors radiation levels and relays the information to a central computer.
3 VERB If you relay something that has been said to you, you repeat it to another person. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] She relayed the message, then frowned.
re|lease ◆◆◆ /r I liː s/ (releases , releasing , released )
1 VERB [usu passive] If a person or animal is released from somewhere where they have been locked up or looked after, they are set free or allowed to go. □ [be V -ed + from ] He was released from custody the next day. □ [be V -ed] He was released on bail.
2 N‑COUNT When someone is released, you refer to their release . □ He called for the immediate release of all political prisoners.
3 VERB If someone or something releases you from a duty, task, or feeling, they free you from it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + from ] The document released Mr Jackson from his obligations under the contract. □ [V n] This releases the teacher to work with individuals who are having extreme difficulty. ● N‑VAR [oft a N ] Release is also a noun. □ [+ from ] …release from stored tensions, traumas and grief.
4 VERB To release feelings or abilities means to allow them to be expressed. □ [V n] Becoming your own person releases your creativity. ● N‑UNCOUNT Release is also a noun. □ [+ of ] She felt the sudden sweet release of her own tears.
5 VERB If someone in authority releases something such as a document or information, they make it available. □ [V n] They're not releasing any more details yet. ● N‑COUNT Release is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Action had been taken to speed up the release of cheques.
6 VERB If you release someone or something, you stop holding them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He stopped and faced her, releasing her wrist.
7 VERB If you release a device, you move it so that it stops holding something. □ [V n] Wade released the hand brake and pulled away from the curb.
8 VERB If something releases gas, heat, or a substance, it causes it to leave its container or the substance that it was part of and enter the surrounding atmosphere or area. □ [V n] …a weapon which releases toxic nerve gas. ● N‑COUNT Release is also a noun. □ [+ of ] Under the agreement, releases of cancer-causing chemicals will be cut by about 80 per cent.
9 VERB When an entertainer or company releases a new CD, video, or film, it becomes available so that people can buy it or see it. □ [V n] He is releasing an album of love songs.
10 N‑COUNT A new release is a new CD, video, or film that has just become available for people to buy or see. □ Which of the new releases do you think are really good?
11 N‑UNCOUNT [on N ] If a film or video is on release or on general release , it is available for people to see in public cinemas or for people to buy. □ The film goes on release on February 1st.
12 → see also day release , news release , press release SYNONYMS release VERB 1
free: They are set to free more prisoners.
set free: Most of the prisoners were set free.
let out: I'd better go and let the dog out.
liberate: The government is devising a plan to liberate prisoners held in detention camps.
rel|egate /re l I ge I t/ (relegates , relegating , relegated )
1 VERB If you relegate someone or something to a less important position, you give them this position. □ [V n + to ] Military heroes were relegated to the status of ordinary citizens.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a sports team that competes in a league is relegated , it has to compete in a lower division in the next competition, because it was one of the least successful teams in the higher division. [BRIT ] □ [be V -ed] If Leigh lose, they'll be relegated. ● rel|ega|tion /re l I ge I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ to ] Relegation to the Third Division would prove catastrophic.
re|lent /r I le nt/ (relents , relenting , relented )
1 VERB If you relent , you allow someone to do something that you had previously refused to allow them to do. □ [V ] Finally his mother relented and gave permission for her youngest son to marry.
2 VERB If bad weather relents , it improves. □ [V ] If the weather relents, the game will be finished today.
re|lent|less /r I le ntləs/
1 ADJ Something bad that is relentless never stops or never becomes less intense. □ The pressure now was relentless. ● re|lent|less|ly ADV □ The sun is beating down relentlessly.
2 ADJ Someone who is relentless is determined to do something and refuses to give up, even if what they are doing is unpleasant or cruel. □ Relentless in his pursuit of quality, his technical ability was remarkable. ● re|lent|less|ly ADV □ She always questioned me relentlessly.
rel|evance /re ləv ə ns/ N‑UNCOUNT Something's relevance to a situation or person is its importance or significance in that situation or to that person. □ [+ to ] Politicians' private lives have no relevance to their public roles.
rel|evant /re ləv ə nt/
1 ADJ Something that is relevant to a situation or person is important or significant in that situation or to that person. □ [+ to ] Is socialism still relevant to people's lives?
2 ADJ The relevant thing of a particular kind is the one that is appropriate. □ Make sure you enclose all the relevant certificates.
re|li|able ◆◇◇ /r I la I əb ə l/
1 ADJ People or things that are reliable can be trusted to work well or to behave in the way that you want them to. □ She was efficient and reliable. □ Japanese cars are so reliable. ● re|li|ably /r I la I əbli/ ADV □ It's been working reliably for years. ● re|li|abil|ity /r I la I əb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ He's not at all worried about his car's reliability.
2 ADJ Information that is reliable or that is from a reliable source is very likely to be correct. □ There is no reliable information about civilian casualties. ● re|li|ably ADV □ Sonia, we are reliably informed, loves her family very much. ● re|li|abil|ity N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] Both questioned the reliability of recent opinion polls. SYNONYMS reliable ADJ 1
trustworthy: He is a trustworthy and level-headed leader.
dependable: He was a good friend, a dependable companion.
staunch: He's a staunch supporter of controls on government spending.
re|li|ance /r I la I əns/ N‑UNCOUNT A person's or thing's reliance on something is the fact that they need it and often cannot live or work without it. □ [+ on ] …the country's increasing reliance on foreign aid.
re|li|ant /r I la I ənt/
1 ADJ A person or thing that is reliant on something needs it and often cannot live or work without it. □ [+ on/upon ] These people are not wholly reliant on Western charity.
2 → see also self-reliant
rel|ic /re l I k/ (relics )
1 N‑COUNT If you refer to something or someone as a relic of an earlier period, you mean that they belonged to that period but have survived into the present. □ [+ of ] …an old lady in her eighties, always dressed in black - a relic of a past age.
2 N‑COUNT A relic is something which was made or used a long time ago and which is kept for its historical significance. □ …a museum of war relics.
re|lief ◆◆◇ /r I liː f/ (reliefs )
1 N‑VAR [oft a N ] If you feel a sense of relief , you feel happy because something unpleasant has not happened or is no longer happening. □ I breathed a sigh of relief. □ [+ to ] The news will come as a great relief to the French authorities.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If something provides relief from pain or distress, it stops the pain or distress. □ [+ from ] …a self-help programme which can give lasting relief from the torment of hay fever.
3 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n, n N ] Relief is money, food, or clothing that is provided for people who are very poor, or who have been affected by war or a natural disaster. □ Relief agencies are stepping up efforts to provide food, shelter and agricultural equipment.
4 N‑COUNT [usu N n] A relief worker is someone who does your work when you go home, or who is employed to do it instead of you when you are sick. □ No relief drivers were available.
5 → see also bas-relief , tax relief COLLOCATIONS relief NOUN
1
adjective + relief : blessed, great, huge, welcome; palpable
relief + be + adjective : short-lived
verb + relief : bring, offer, provide; express, feel; seek
3
noun + relief : disaster, emergency, famine, flood
adjective + relief : humanitarian
verb + relief : provide
re|lieve /r I liː v/ (relieves , relieving , relieved )
1 VERB If something relieves an unpleasant feeling or situation, it makes it less unpleasant or causes it to disappear completely. □ [V n] Meditation can relieve stress.
2 VERB If someone or something relieves you of an unpleasant feeling or difficult task, they take it from you. □ [V n + of ] A bookkeeper will relieve you of the burden of chasing unpaid invoices.
3 VERB If someone relieves you of something, they take it away from you. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + of ] A porter relieved her of the three large cases.
4 VERB If you relieve someone, you take their place and continue to do the job or duty that they have been doing. □ [V n] At seven o'clock the night nurse came in to relieve her.
5 VERB [usu passive] If someone is relieved of their duties or is relieved of their post, they are told that they are no longer required to continue in their job. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed + of ] The officer involved was relieved of his duties because he had violated strict guidelines.
6 VERB If an army relieves a town or another place which has been surrounded by enemy forces, it frees it. □ [V n] The offensive began several days ago as an attempt to relieve the town.
7 VERB If people or animals relieve themselves , they urinate or defecate. [OLD-FASHIONED ] □ [V pron-refl] It is not difficult to train your dog to relieve itself on command.
re|lieved /r I liː vd/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ , oft ADJ to-inf/that] If you are relieved , you feel happy because something unpleasant has not happened or is no longer happening. □ We are all relieved to be back home.
re|li|gion ◆◇◇ /r I l I dʒ ə n/ (religions )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Religion is belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this belief, such as praying or worshipping in a building such as a church or temple. □ …his understanding of Indian philosophy and religion.
2 N‑COUNT A religion is a particular system of belief in a god or gods and the activities that are connected with this system. □ …the Christian religion. SYNONYMS religion NOUN 1
belief: He refuses to compete on Sundays because of his religious beliefs.
faith: England shifted officially from a Catholic to a Protestant faith in the 16th century.
creed: The centre is open to all, no matter what race or creed.
re|ligi|os|ity /r I l I dʒiɒ s I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to a person's religiosity , you are referring to the fact that they are religious in a way which seems exaggerated and insincere. [FORMAL ] □ …their hypocritical religiosity.
re|li|gious ◆◆◇ /r I l I dʒəs/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use religious to describe things that are connected with religion or with one particular religion. □ …religious groups. □ …different religious beliefs. ● re|li|gious|ly ADV [usu ADV adj/adv, ADV -ed] □ India has always been one of the most religiously diverse countries.
2 ADJ Someone who is religious has a strong belief in a god or gods. □ They are both very religious and felt it was a gift from God.
3 → see also religiously
re|li|gious|ly /r I l I dʒəsli/
1 ADV [ADV with v] If you do something religiously , you do it very regularly because you feel you have to. □ Do these exercises religiously every day.
2 → see also religious
re|lin|quish /r I l I ŋkw I ʃ/ (relinquishes , relinquishing , relinquished ) VERB If you relinquish something such as power or control, you give it up. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He does not intend to relinquish power.
reli|quary /re l I kwəri, [AM ] -kweri/ (reliquaries ) N‑COUNT A reliquary is a container where religious objects connected with a saint are kept.
rel|ish /re l I ʃ/ (relishes , relishing , relished )
1 VERB If you relish something, you get a lot of enjoyment from it. □ [V n] I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down. ● N‑UNCOUNT Relish is also a noun. □ The three men ate with relish.
2 VERB If you relish the idea, thought, or prospect of something, you are looking forward to it very much. □ [V n] Jacqueline is not relishing the prospect of another spell in prison.
3 N‑VAR Relish is a sauce or pickle that you eat with other food in order to give the other food more flavour.
re|live /riː l I v/ (relives , reliving , relived ) VERB If you relive something that has happened to you in the past, you remember it and imagine that you are experiencing it again. □ [V n] There is no point in reliving the past.
re|load /riː loʊ d/ (reloads , reloading , reloaded ) VERB If someone reloads a gun, they load it again by putting in more bullets or explosive. If you reload a container, you fill it again. □ [V n] She reloaded the gun as quickly as she could. □ [V ] He reloaded and nodded to the gamekeeper.
re|lo|cate /riː loʊke I t, [AM ] -loʊ ke I t/ (relocates , relocating , relocated ) VERB If people or businesses relocate or if someone relocates them, they move to a different place. □ [V ] If the company was to relocate, most employees would move. □ [V n] There will be the problem of where to relocate the returning troops. ● re|lo|ca|tion /riː loʊke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ The company says the cost of relocation will be negligible.
re|lo|ca |tion ex|penses N‑PLURAL Relocation expenses are a sum of money that a company pays to someone who moves to a new area in order to work for the company. The money is to help them pay for moving house. [BUSINESS ] □ Relocation expenses were paid to encourage senior staff to move to the region.
re|luc|tant ◆◇◇ /r I lʌ ktənt/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ to-inf] If you are reluctant to do something, you are unwilling to do it and hesitate before doing it, or do it slowly and without enthusiasm. □ Mr Spero was reluctant to ask for help. ● re|luc|tant|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ We have reluctantly agreed to let him go. ● re|luc|tance N‑UNCOUNT [oft N to-inf] □ Ministers have shown extreme reluctance to explain their position to the media. SYNONYMS reluctant ADJ 1
unwilling: Initially the government was unwilling to accept the defeat.
grudging: He even earned his opponents' grudging respect.
hesitant: She was hesitant about coming forward with her story.
rely ◆◇◇ /r I la I / (relies , relying , relied )
1 VERB If you rely on someone or something, you need them and depend on them in order to live or work properly. □ [V + on/upon ] They relied heavily on the advice of their professional advisers.
2 VERB If you can rely on someone to work well or to behave as you want them to, you can trust them to do this. □ [V + on/upon ] I know I can rely on you to sort it out. □ [V + on/upon ] The Red Cross are relying on us.
REM /ɑː r iː e m/ ADJ [ADJ n] REM sleep is a period of sleep that is very deep, during which your eyes and muscles make many small movements. It is the period during which most of your dreams occur. REM is an abbreviation for 'rapid eye movement'.
re|main ◆◆◆ /r I me I n/ (remains , remaining , remained )
1 V‑LINK If someone or something remains in a particular state or condition, they stay in that state or condition and do not change. □ [V adj] The three men remained silent. □ [V prep] The government remained in control. □ [V n] He remained a formidable opponent. □ [V adj] It remains possible that bad weather could tear more holes in the tanker's hull. [Also it V n that]
2 VERB If you remain in a place, you stay there and do not move away. □ [V prep] He will have to remain in hospital for at least 10 days. [Also V ]
3 VERB You can say that something remains when it still exists. □ [V ] The wider problem remains.
4 V‑LINK If something remains to be done, it has not yet been done and still needs to be done. □ Major questions remain to be answered about his work.
5 N‑PLURAL The remains of something are the parts of it that are left after most of it has been taken away or destroyed. □ [+ of ] They were tidying up the remains of their picnic.
6 N‑PLURAL The remains of a person or animal are the parts of their body that are left after they have died, sometimes after they have been dead for a long time. □ [+ of ] The unrecognizable remains of a man had been found.
7 N‑PLURAL Historical remains are things that have been found from an earlier period of history, usually buried in the ground, for example parts of buildings and pieces of pottery. □ There are Roman remains all around us.
8 V‑LINK You can use remain in expressions such as the fact remains that or the question remains whether to introduce and emphasize something that you want to talk about. □ [V that] The fact remains that inflation is unacceptably high. □ [V wh] The question remains whether he was fully aware of the claims.
9 → see also remaining
10 PHRASE If you say that it remains to be seen whether something will happen, you mean that nobody knows whether it will happen. [VAGUENESS ] □ It remains to be seen whether her parliamentary colleagues will agree. SYNONYMS remain VERB
1
continue: He insisted that the conflict would continue.
endure: Somehow the language endures and continues to survive.
persist: Contact your doctor if the cough persists.
go on: The population failed to understand the necessity for the war to go on.
2
stay: 'Stay here,' Trish said.
stay put: Nigel says for the moment he is very happy to stay put in Lyon.
wait: Angus got out of the car to wait.
re|main|der /r I me I ndə r / QUANT The remainder of a group are the things or people that still remain after the other things or people have gone or have been dealt with. □ [+ of ] He gulped down the remainder of his coffee. ● PRON Remainder is also a pronoun. □ Only 5.9 per cent of the area is covered in trees. Most of the remainder is farmland.
re|main|ing ◆◇◇ /r I me I n I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] The remaining things or people out of a group are the things or people that still exist, are still present, or have not yet been dealt with. □ The three parties will meet next month to work out remaining differences.
2 → see also remain
re|make (remakes , remaking , remade ) The noun is pronounced /riː me I k/. The verb is pronounced /riː me I k/. 1 N‑COUNT A remake is a film that has the same story, and often the same title, as a film that was made earlier. □ [+ of ] …a 1953 remake of the thirties musical 'Roberta'.
2 VERB [usu passive] If a film is remade , a new film is made that has the same story, and often the same title, as a film that was made earlier. □ [be V -ed] Kurosawa's Seven Samurai cried out to be remade as a western (hence The Magnificent Seven).
3 VERB If you have something remade , you ask someone to make it again, especially in a way that is better than before. □ [have n V -ed] He had all the window frames in the room remade. [Also V n]
re|mand /r I mɑː nd, -mæ nd/ (remands , remanding , remanded )
1 VERB [usu passive] If a person who is accused of a crime is remanded in custody or on bail, they are told to return to the court at a later date, when their trial will take place. □ [be V -ed prep] Carter was remanded in custody for seven days.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n, on N ] Remand is used to refer to the process of remanding someone in custody or on bail, or to the period of time until their trial begins. □ The remand hearing is often over in three minutes.
re|ma nd cen|tre (remand centres ) N‑COUNT In Britain, a remand centre is an institution where people who are accused of a crime are sent until their trial begins or until a decision about their punishment has been made.
re|mark ◆◇◇ /r I mɑː r k/ (remarks , remarking , remarked )
1 VERB If you remark that something is the case, you say that it is the case. □ [V that] I remarked that I would go shopping that afternoon. □ [V with quote] 'Some people have more money than sense,' Winston had remarked. □ [V + on/upon ] On several occasions she had remarked on the boy's improvement.
2 N‑COUNT If you make a remark about something, you say something about it. □ [+ about ] He made some remarks about the President for which he had to apologise. SYNONYMS remark NOUN 2
comment: She made her comments at a news conference in Amsterdam.
observation: Is that a criticism,' I said, 'or just an observation?'.
statement: Things are moving ahead.'– I found that statement vague and unclear.
re|mark|able ◆◇◇ /r I mɑː r kəb ə l/ ADJ Someone or something that is remarkable is unusual or special in a way that makes people notice them and be surprised or impressed. □ He was a remarkable man. □ It was a remarkable achievement. ● re|mark|ably /r I mɑː r kəbli/ ADV [usu ADV adj/adv] □ The food industry has been remarkably successful in satisfying customer demands.
re|mar|riage /riː mæ r I dʒ/ (remarriages ) N‑VAR Remarriage is the act of remarrying. □ She resented her father's remarriage.
re|mar|ry /riː mæ ri/ (remarries , remarrying , remarried ) VERB If someone remarries , they marry again after they have obtained a divorce from their previous husband or wife, or after their previous husband or wife has died. □ [V ] Her mother had never remarried. [Also V n]
re|mas|ter /riː mɑː stə r , -mæ stə r / (remasters , remastering , remastered ) VERB If a film or musical recording is remastered , a new recording is made of the old version, using modern technology to improve the quality. □ [V -ed] A special remastered version of Casablanca is being released. [Also V n]
re|match /riː mætʃ/ (rematches )
1 N‑COUNT A rematch is a second game that is played between two people or teams, for example because their first match was a draw or because there was a dispute about some aspect of it. [mainly BRIT ] □ Duff said he would be demanding a rematch.
2 N‑COUNT A rematch is a second game or contest between two people or teams who have already faced each other. [mainly AM ] □ Stanford will face UCLA in a rematch. in BRIT, usually use return match
re|medial /r I miː diəl/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Remedial education is intended to improve a person's ability to read, write, or do mathematics, especially when they find these things difficult. □ …children who required special remedial education.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Remedial activities are intended to improve a person's health when they are ill. [FORMAL ] □ He is already walking normally and doing remedial exercises.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Remedial action is intended to correct something that has been done wrong or that has not been successful. [FORMAL ] □ Some authorities are now having to take remedial action.
rem|edy /re mədi/ (remedies , remedying , remedied )
1 N‑COUNT A remedy is a successful way of dealing with a problem. □ The remedy lies in the hands of the government.
2 N‑COUNT A remedy is something that is intended to cure you when you are ill or in pain. □ …natural remedies to help overcome winter infections.
3 VERB If you remedy something that is wrong or harmful, you correct it or improve it. □ [V n] A great deal has been done internally to remedy the situation.
re|mem|ber ◆◆◆ /r I me mbə r / (remembers , remembering , remembered )
1 VERB If you remember people or events from the past, you still have an idea of them in your mind and you are able to think about them. □ [V n] You wouldn't remember me. I was in another group. □ [V v-ing] I certainly don't remember talking to you at all. □ [V that] I remembered that we had drunk the last of the coffee the week before. □ [V wh] I can remember where and when I bought each one. □ [V ] I used to do that when you were a little girl, remember?
2 VERB If you remember that something is the case, you become aware of it again after a time when you did not think about it. □ [V that] She remembered that she was going to the social club that evening. □ [V n] Then I remembered the cheque, which cheered me up.
3 VERB If you cannot remember something, you are not able to bring it back into your mind when you make an effort to do so. □ [V n] If you can't remember your number, write it in code in a diary. □ [V wh] I can't remember what I said. □ [V ] Don't tell me you can't remember. [Also V v-ing]
4 VERB If you remember to do something, you do it when you intend to. □ [V to-inf] Please remember to enclose a stamped addressed envelope when writing.
5 VERB You tell someone to remember that something is the case when you want to emphasize its importance. It may be something that they already know about or a new piece of information. [EMPHASIS ] □ [V that] It is important to remember that each person reacts differently. □ [be V -ed that] It should be remembered that this loss of control can never be regained.
6 VERB [usu passive] If you say that someone will be remembered for something that they have done, you mean that people will think of this whenever they think about the person. □ [be V -ed + for ] At his grammar school he is remembered for being bad at games. □ [be V -ed + as ] Lincoln is remembered as the man who abolished slavery in the US.
7 VERB [no cont, usu imper] If you ask someone to remember you to a person who you have not seen for a long time, you are asking them to pass your greetings on to that person. □ [V n + to ] 'Remember me to Lyle, won't you?' I said.
8 VERB [only to-inf] If you make a celebration an occasion to remember , you make it very enjoyable for all the people involved. □ [V ] We'll give everyone a night to remember.
re|mem|brance /r I me mbrəns/ N‑UNCOUNT If you do something in remembrance of a dead person, you do it as a way of showing that you want to remember them and that you respect them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] They wore black in remembrance of those who had died.
Re|me m|brance Day N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] In Britain, Remembrance Day or Remembrance Sunday is the Sunday nearest to the 11th of November, when people honour the memory of those who died in the two world wars. □ …a Remembrance Day service.
re|mind ◆◇◇ /r I ma I nd/ (reminds , reminding , reminded )
1 VERB If someone reminds you of a fact or event that you already know about, they say something which makes you think about it. □ [V n + of ] So she simply welcomed him and reminded him of the last time they had met. □ [V n that] I had to remind myself that being confident is not the same as being perfect!
2 VERB You use remind in expressions such as Let me remind you that and May I remind you that to introduce a piece of information that you want to emphasize. It may be something that the hearer already knows about or a new piece of information. Sometimes these expressions can sound unfriendly. [SPOKEN , EMPHASIS ] □ [V n that] 'Let me remind you,' said Marianne, 'that Manchester is also my home town.' □ [V n wh] Need I remind you who the enemy is?
3 VERB If someone reminds you to do a particular thing, they say something which makes you remember to do it. □ [V n to-inf] Can you remind me to buy a bottle of Martini? □ [V n + about ] The note was to remind him about something he had to explain to one of his students.
4 VERB If you say that someone or something reminds you of another person or thing, you mean that they are similar to the other person or thing and that they make you think about them. □ [V n + of ] She reminds me of the woman who used to work for you.
re|mind|er /r I ma I ndə r / (reminders )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing, N that] Something that serves as a reminder of another thing makes you think about the other thing. [WRITTEN ] □ [+ of ] Some children keep attractive cards in an album as a constant reminder of their grandparents.
2 N‑COUNT A reminder is a letter or note that is sent to tell you that you have not done something such as pay a bill or return library books. [mainly BRIT ] □ …the final reminder for the gas bill.
remi|nisce /re m I n I s/ (reminisces , reminiscing , reminisced ) VERB If you reminisce about something from your past, you write or talk about it, often with pleasure. [FORMAL ] □ [V ] I don't like reminiscing because it makes me feel old. [Also V with quote]
remi|nis|cence /re m I n I səns/ (reminiscences ) N‑VAR [oft poss N ] Someone's reminiscences are things that they remember from the past, and which they talk or write about. Reminiscence is the process of remembering these things and talking or writing about them. [FORMAL ] □ Here I am boring you with my reminiscences. [Also + of ]
remi|nis|cent /re m I n I sənt/ ADJ If you say that one thing is reminiscent of another, you mean that it reminds you of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] The decor was reminiscent of a municipal arts-and-leisure centre.
re|miss /r I m I s/ ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If someone is remiss , they are careless about doing things which ought to be done. [FORMAL ] □ I would be remiss if I did not do something about it. [Also + in ]
re|mis|sion /r I m I ʃ ə n/ (remissions )
1 N‑VAR If someone who has had a serious disease such as cancer is in remission or if the disease is in remission , the disease has been controlled so that they are not as ill as they were. □ Brain scans have confirmed that the disease is in remission.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If someone in prison gets remission , their prison sentence is reduced, usually because they have behaved well. [BRIT ] □ With remission for good behaviour, she could be freed in a year.
re|mit (remits , remitting , remitted ) The noun is pronounced /riː m I t/. The verb is pronounced /r I m I t/. 1 N‑COUNT [usu sing, oft poss N ] Someone's remit is the area of activity which they are expected to deal with, or which they have authority to deal with. [BRIT ] □ [+ of ] That issue is not within the remit of the working group.
2 VERB If you remit money to someone, you send it to them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + to ] Many immigrants regularly remit money to their families.
re|mit|tance /r I m I təns/ (remittances ) N‑VAR A remittance is a sum of money that you send to someone. [FORMAL ] □ Complete this coupon in block capitals and send it with your remittance to the address below.
re|mix (remixes , remixing , remixed ) The noun is pronounced /riː m I ks/. The verb is pronounced /riː m I ks/. 1 N‑COUNT A remix is a new version of a piece of music which has been created by putting together the individual instrumental and vocal parts in a different way. □ Their new album features remixes of some of their previous hits.
2 VERB To remix a piece of music means to make a new version of it by putting together the individual instrumental and vocal parts in a different way. □ [V n] The band are remixing some tracks.
rem|nant /re mnənt/ (remnants )
1 N‑COUNT The remnants of something are small parts of it that are left over when the main part has disappeared or been destroyed. □ [+ of ] Beneath the present church were remnants of Roman flooring.
2 N‑COUNT A remnant is a small piece of cloth that is left over when most of the cloth has been sold. Shops usually sell remnants cheaply.
re|mod|el /riː mɒ d ə l/ (remodels , remodelling , remodelled ) in AM, use remodeling , remodeled VERB To remodel something such as a building or a room means to give it a different form or shape. □ [V n] Workmen were hired to remodel and enlarge the farm buildings.
re|mon|strate /re mənstre I t, [AM ] r I mɒ nstre I t/ (remonstrates , remonstrating , remonstrated ) VERB If you remonstrate with someone, you protest to them about something you do not approve of or agree with, and you try to get it changed or stopped. [FORMAL ] □ [V + with ] He remonstrated with the referee. □ [V ] I jumped in the car and went to remonstrate. [Also V prep]
re|morse /r I mɔː r s/ N‑UNCOUNT Remorse is a strong feeling of sadness and regret about something wrong that you have done. □ He was full of remorse.
re|morse|ful /r I mɔː r sfʊl/ ADJ If you are remorseful , you feel very guilty and sorry about something wrong that you have done. □ He was genuinely remorseful. ● re|morse|ful|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'My poor wife!' he said, remorsefully.
re|morse|less /r I mɔː r sləs/
1 ADJ If you describe something, especially something unpleasant, as remorseless , you mean that it goes on for a long time and cannot be stopped. □ …the remorseless pressure of recession and financial constraint. ● re|morse|less|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ There have been record bankruptcies and remorselessly rising unemployment.
2 ADJ Someone who is remorseless is prepared to be cruel to other people and feels no pity for them. □ …the capacity for quick, remorseless violence. ● re|morse|less|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ They remorselessly beat up anyone they suspected of supporting the opposition.
re|mote ◆◇◇ /r I moʊ t/ (remoter , remotest )
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Remote areas are far away from cities and places where most people live, and are therefore difficult to get to. □ Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] The remote past or remote future is a time that is many years distant from the present. □ Slabs of rock had slipped sideways in the remote past, and formed this hole.
3 ADJ If something is remote from a particular subject or area of experience, it is not relevant to it because it is very different. □ [+ from ] This government depends on the wishes of a few who are remote from the people.
4 ADJ If you say that there is a remote possibility or chance that something will happen, you are emphasizing that there is only a very small chance that it will happen. [EMPHASIS ] □ I use a sunscreen whenever there is even a remote possibility that I will be in the sun.
5 ADJ If you describe someone as remote , you mean that they behave as if they do not want to be friendly or closely involved with other people. □ She looked so beautiful, and at the same time so remote. SYNONYMS remote ADJ 1
distant: …the war in that distant land.
isolated: Many of the refugee villages are in isolated areas.
out-of-the-way: …an out-of-the-way spot.
re|mo te a c|cess N‑UNCOUNT Remote access is a system which allows you to gain access to a particular computer or network using a separate computer. [COMPUTING ] □ The diploma course would offer remote access to course materials via the internet.
re|mo te con|tro l (remote controls )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Remote control is a system of controlling a machine or a vehicle from a distance by using radio or electronic signals. □ The bomb was detonated by remote control.
2 N‑COUNT The remote control for a television or video recorder is the device that you use to control the machine from a distance, by pressing the buttons on it.
remo te-contro lled ADJ [usu ADJ n] A remote-controlled machine or device is controlled from a distance by the use of radio or electronic signals. □ …a remote-controlled bomb.
re|mote|ly /r I moʊ tli/
1 ADV [oft ADV adj/-ed] You use remotely with a negative statement to emphasize the statement. [EMPHASIS ] □ Nobody was remotely interested.
2 ADV [ADV -ed] If someone or something is remotely placed or situated, they are a long way from other people or places. □ …the remotely situated, five bedroom house.
re|mo te se ns|ing N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Remote sensing is the gathering of information about something by observing it from space or from the air.
re|mould (remoulds , remoulding , remoulded ) The spelling remold is used in American English. The noun is pronounced /riː moʊld/. The verb is pronounced /riː moʊ ld/. 1 N‑COUNT A remould is an old tyre which has been given a new surface or tread and can be used again. [BRIT ] in AM, use retread 2 VERB To remould something such as an idea or an economy means to change it so that it has a new structure or is based on new principles. □ [V n] …a new phase in the attempt to remould Labour's image.
re|mount /riː maʊ nt/ (remounts , remounting , remounted ) VERB When you remount a bicycle or horse, you get back on it after you have got off it or fallen off it. □ [V n] He was told to remount his horse and ride back to Lexington. □ [V ] The pony scrabbled up and waited for the rider, who remounted and carried on.
re|mov|able /r I muː vəb ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A removable part of something is a part that can easily be moved from its place or position. □ …a cake tin with a removable base.
re|mov|al /r I muː v ə l/ (removals )
1 N‑UNCOUNT The removal of something is the act of removing it. □ What they expected to be the removal of a small lump turned out to be major surgery.
2 N‑VAR [oft N n] Removal is the process of transporting furniture or equipment from one building to another. [mainly BRIT ] □ Home removals are best done in cool weather. in AM, use moving
re|mo v|al man (removal men ) N‑COUNT Removal men are men whose job is to move furniture or equipment from one building to another. [mainly BRIT ] in AM, usually use movers
re|move ◆◆◇ /r I muː v/ (removes , removing , removed )
1 VERB If you remove something from a place, you take it away. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n + from ] As soon as the cake is done, remove it from the oven. □ [V n] He went to the refrigerator and removed a bottle of milk.
2 VERB If you remove clothing, you take it off. [WRITTEN ] □ [V n] He removed his jacket.
3 VERB If you remove a stain from something, you make the stain disappear by treating it with a chemical or by washing it. □ [V n] This treatment removes the most stubborn stains.
4 VERB If people remove someone from power or from something such as a committee, they stop them being in power or being a member of the committee. □ [V n + from ] The student senate voted to remove Fuller from office.
5 VERB If you remove an obstacle, a restriction, or a problem, you get rid of it. □ [V n] The agreement removes the last serious obstacle to the signing of the arms treaty.
re|moved /r I muː vd/ ADJ If you say that an idea or situation is far removed from something, you mean that it is very different from it. □ [+ from ] He found it hard to concentrate on conversation so far removed from his present preoccupations.
re|mov|er /r I muː və r / (removers ) N‑VAR Remover is a substance that you use for removing an unwanted stain, mark, or coating from a surface. □ We got some paint remover and scrubbed it off.
re|mu|ner|ate /r I mjuː nəre I t/ (remunerates , remunerating , remunerated ) VERB [usu passive] If you are remunerated for work that you do, you are paid for it. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed] You will be remunerated and so will your staff.
re|mu|nera|tion /r I mjuː nəre I ʃ ə n/ (remunerations ) N‑VAR Someone's remuneration is the amount of money that they are paid for the work that they do. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …the continuing marked increase in the remuneration of the company's directors.
re|mu|nera|tive /r I mjuː nərət I v/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Remunerative work is work that you are paid for. [FORMAL ] □ A doctor advised her to seek remunerative employment.
re|nais|sance /r I ne I sɒns, [AM ] re n I sɑː ns/
1 N‑PROPER [oft N n] The Renaissance was the period in Europe, especially Italy, in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries, when there was a new interest in art, literature, science, and learning. □ …the Renaissance masterpieces in London's galleries.
2 N‑SING If something experiences a renaissance , it becomes popular or successful again after a time when people were not interested in it. □ Popular art is experiencing a renaissance.
Re|nai s|sance man (Renaissance men ) N‑COUNT If you describe a man as a Renaissance man , you mean that he has a wide range of abilities and interests, especially in the arts and sciences. [APPROVAL ]
re|nal /riː n ə l/ ADJ [ADJ n] Renal describes things that concern or are related to the kidneys. [MEDICAL ] □ He collapsed from acute renal failure.
re|name /riː ne I m/ (renames , renaming , renamed ) VERB If you rename something, you change its name to a new name. □ [be V -ed n] Avenue Napoleon III in Paris was renamed Avenue de l'Opéra after the empire fell.
rend /re nd/ (rends , rending , rent )
1 VERB To rend something means to tear it. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] …pain that rends the heart. □ [V ] …a twisted urge to rend and tear.
2 VERB If a loud sound rends the air, it is sudden and violent. [LITERARY ] □ [V n] He bellows, rends the air with anguish.
3 → see also heart-rending
ren|der /re ndə r / (renders , rendering , rendered )
1 VERB You can use render with an adjective that describes a particular state to say that someone or something is changed into that state. For example, if someone or something makes a thing harmless, you can say that they render it harmless. □ [V n adj] It contained so many errors as to render it worthless.
2 VERB If you render someone help or service, you help them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n + to ] He had a chance to render some service to his country. □ [V n n] Any assistance you can render him will be appreciated.
3 VERB To render something in a particular language or in a particular way means to translate it into that language or in that way. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed + in ] All the signs and announcements were rendered in English and Spanish. [Also V n + as/into/in ]
ren|der|ing /re ndər I ŋ/ (renderings )
1 N‑COUNT A rendering of a play, poem, or piece of music is a performance of it. □ [+ of ] …a rendering of Verdi's Requiem by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
2 N‑COUNT A rendering of an expression or piece of writing or speech is a translation of it. □ [+ of ] This phrase may well have been a rendering of a popular Arabic expression.
ren|dez|vous /rɒ nde I vuː/ (rendezvousing , rendezvoused ) The form rendezvous is pronounced /rɒ nde I vuːz/ when it is the plural of the noun or the third person singular of the verb. 1 N‑COUNT A rendezvous is a meeting, often a secret one, that you have arranged with someone for a particular time and place. □ [+ with ] I had almost decided to keep my rendezvous with Tony.
2 N‑COUNT A rendezvous is the place where you have arranged to meet someone, often secretly. □ Their rendezvous would be the Penta Hotel at Heathrow Airport.
3 VERB If you rendezvous with someone or if the two of you rendezvous , you meet them at a time and place that you have arranged. □ [V + with ] The plan was to rendezvous with him on Sunday afternoon. □ [V ] She wondered where they were going to rendezvous afterwards.
ren|di|tion /rend I ʃ ə n/ (renditions ) N‑COUNT A rendition of a play, poem, or piece of music is a performance of it. □ [+ of ] The musicians burst into a rousing rendition of 'Happy Birthday'.
ren|egade /re n I ge I d/ (renegades )
1 N‑COUNT A renegade is a person who abandons the religious, political, or philosophical beliefs that he or she used to have, and accepts opposing or different beliefs.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Renegade is used to describe a member of a group or profession who behaves in a way that is opposed to the normal behaviour or beliefs of that group or profession. □ Three men were shot dead by a renegade policeman.
re|nege /r I niː g, r I ne I g, [AM ] -n I g/ (reneges , reneging , reneged ) VERB If someone reneges on a promise or an agreement, they do not do what they have promised or agreed to do. □ [V + on ] If someone reneged on a deal, they could never trade here again. [Also V ]
re|new ◆◇◇ /r I njuː , [AM ] -nuː / (renews , renewing , renewed )
1 VERB If you renew an activity, you begin it again. □ [V n] He renewed his attack on government policy towards Europe. □ [V -ed] There was renewed fighting yesterday.
2 VERB If you renew a relationship with someone, you start it again after you have not seen them or have not been friendly with them for some time. □ [V n] When the two men met again after the war they renewed their friendship. □ [V n + with ] In December 1989 Syria renewed diplomatic relations with Egypt.
3 VERB When you renew something such as a licence or a contract, you extend the period of time for which it is valid. □ [V n] Larry's landlord threatened not to renew his lease.
4 VERB [usu passive] You can say that something is renewed when it grows again or is replaced after it has been destroyed or lost. □ [be V -ed] Cells are being constantly renewed. □ [V -ed] …a renewed interest in public transport systems.
re|new|able /r I njuː əb ə l, [AM ] -nuː -/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Renewable resources are natural ones such as wind, water, and sunlight which are always available. □ …renewable energy sources.
2 ADJ If a contract or agreement is renewable , it can be extended when it reaches the end of a fixed period of time. □ A formal contract is signed which is renewable annually.
re|new|al /r I njuː əl, -nuː -/ (renewals )
1 N‑SING If there is a renewal of an activity or a situation, it starts again. □ [+ of ] They will discuss the possible renewal of diplomatic relations.
2 N‑VAR The renewal of a document such as a licence or a contract is an official increase in the period of time for which it remains valid. □ His contract came up for renewal.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Renewal of something lost, dead, or destroyed is the process of it growing again or being replaced. □ …urban renewal and regeneration.
re|nounce /r I naʊ ns/ (renounces , renouncing , renounced )
1 VERB If you renounce a belief or a way of behaving, you decide and declare publicly that you no longer have that belief or will no longer behave in that way. □ [V n] You must renounce your old ways of thinking.
2 VERB If you renounce a claim, rank, or title, you officially give it up. □ [V n] He renounced his claim to the French throne.
reno|vate /re nəve I t/ (renovates , renovating , renovated ) VERB If someone renovates an old building, they repair and improve it and get it back into good condition. □ [V n] The couple spent thousands renovating the house. ● reno|va|tion /re nəve I ʃ ə n/ (renovations ) N‑VAR □ …a property which will need extensive renovation.
re|nown /r I naʊ n/ N‑UNCOUNT [oft n of N ] A person of renown is well known, usually because they do or have done something good. □ She used to be a singer of some renown.
re|nowned /r I naʊ nd/ ADJ A person or place that is renowned for something, usually something good, is well known because of it. □ [+ for ] The area is renowned for its Romanesque churches. [Also + as ]
rent ◆◇◇ /re nt/ (rents , renting , rented )
1 VERB If you rent something, you regularly pay its owner a sum of money in order to be able to have it and use it yourself. □ [V n] She rents a house with three other girls. □ [V -ed] He left his hotel in a rented car.
2 VERB If you rent something to someone, you let them have it and use it in exchange for a sum of money which they pay you regularly. □ [V n + to ] She rented rooms to university students. ● PHRASAL VERB Rent out means the same as rent . □ [V P n] He rented out his house while he worked abroad. □ [V n P ] He repaired the boat, and rented it out for $150.
3 N‑VAR Rent is the amount of money that you pay regularly to use a house, flat, or piece of land. □ She worked to pay the rent while I went to college.
4 Rent is the past tense and past participle of rend .
5 → see also ground rent , peppercorn rent
▸ rent out → see rent 2
rent|al /re nt ə l/ (rentals )
1 N‑UNCOUNT The rental of something such as a car, property, or piece of equipment is the activity or process of renting it. □ We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.
2 N‑COUNT The rental is the amount of money that you pay when you rent something such as a car, property, or piece of equipment. □ It has been let at an annual rental of £393,000.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] You use rental to describe things that are connected with the renting out of goods, properties, and services. □ A friend drove her to Oxford, where she picked up a rental car.
re nt boy (rent boys ) N‑COUNT A rent boy is a boy or young man who has sex with men for money. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]
re nt-free ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you have a rent-free house or office, you do not have to pay anything to use it. □ He was given a new rent-free apartment. ● ADV [ADV after v] Rent-free is also an adverb. □ They told James he could no longer live rent-free.
re|nun|cia|tion /r I nʌ nsie I ʃ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT The renunciation of a belief or a way of behaving is the public declaration that you reject it and have decided to stop having that belief or behaving in that way. □ [+ of ] The talks were dependent on a renunciation of violence.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The renunciation of a claim, title, or privilege is the act of officially giving it up. □ [+ of ] …the renunciation of territory in the Mediterranean.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Renunciation is the act of not allowing yourself certain pleasures for moral or religious reasons. □ Gandhi exemplified the virtues of renunciation, asceticism and restraint.
re|open /rioʊ pən/ (reopens , reopening , reopened )
1 VERB If you reopen a public building such as a factory, airport, or school, or if it reopens , it opens and starts working again after it has been closed for some time. □ [V n] We have plenty of coal underground, but reopening mines takes years and costs billions. □ [V ] The Theatre Royal, Norwich, will reopen in November.
2 VERB If police or the courts reopen a legal case, they investigate it again because it has never been solved or because there was something wrong in the way it was investigated before. □ [V n] There was a call today to reopen the investigation into the bombing.
3 VERB If people or countries reopen talks or negotiations or if talks or negotiations reopen , they begin again after they have stopped for some time. □ [V n] But now high level delegations will reopen talks that broke up earlier this year. □ [V n + with ] …the possibility of reopening negotiations with the government. □ [V ] Peace talks reopened between the rebels and the government.
4 VERB If people or countries reopen ties or relations, they start being friendly again after a time when they were not friendly. □ [V n + with ] The President has been eager to reopen ties with western corporations. □ [V n] The two countries reopened diplomatic relations.
5 VERB If something reopens a question or debate, it makes the question or debate relevant again and causes people to start discussing it again. □ [V n] His results are likely to reopen the debate on race and education.
6 VERB If a country reopens a border or route, or if it reopens , it becomes possible to cross or travel along it again after it has been closed. □ [V n] …making peace with its neighbour by reopening its border. □ [V ] The important Beijing Shanghai route has reopened.
re|or|gan|ize /riɔː r gəna I z/ (reorganizes , reorganizing , reorganized ) in BRIT, also use reorganise VERB To reorganize something or to reorganize means to change the way in which something is organized, arranged, or done. □ [V n] It is the mother who is expected to reorganize her busy schedule. □ [be V -ed + into ] Four thousand troops have been reorganized into a fighting force. □ [V ] They'll have to reorganise and that might cause them problems. ● re|or|gani|za|tion /riɔː r gəna I ze I ʃ ə n/ (reorganizations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …the reorganization of the legal system.
rep /re p/ (reps )
1 N‑COUNT A rep is a person whose job is to sell a company's products or services, especially by travelling round and visiting other companies. Rep is short for representative . □ [+ for ] I'd been working as a sales rep for a photographic company.
2 → see also holiday rep
3 N‑COUNT A rep is a person who acts as a representative for a group of people, usually a group of people who work together. □ Contact the health and safety rep at your union.
4 N‑UNCOUNT In the theatre, rep is the same as repertory . □ A play is tested in rep before ever hitting a West End stage.
Rep. Rep. is a written abbreviation for representative . [AM ] □ …Rep. Barbara Boxer.
re|paid /r I pe I d/ Repaid is the past tense and past participle of repay .
re|pair ◆◇◇ /r I pe ə r / (repairs , repairing , repaired )
1 VERB If you repair something that has been damaged or is not working properly, you mend it. □ [V n] Goldsmith has repaired the roof to ensure the house is wind-proof. □ [have n V -ed] A woman drove her car to the garage to have it repaired. ● re|pair|er (repairers ) N‑COUNT [usu n N ] □ …TV repairers.
2 VERB If you repair a relationship or someone's reputation after it has been damaged, you do something to improve it. □ [V n] The government continued to try to repair the damage caused by the minister's interview.
3 N‑VAR A repair is something that you do to mend a machine, building, piece of clothing, or other thing that has been damaged or is not working properly. □ Many women know how to carry out repairs on their cars. □ There is no doubt now that her relationship is beyond repair.
4 VERB If someone repairs to a particular place, they go there. [FORMAL ] □ [V + to ] We then repaired to the pavilion for lunch.
5 PHRASE If something such as a building is in good repair , it is in good condition. If it is in bad repair , it is in bad condition. □ The monks of Ettal keep the abbey in good repair. SYNONYMS repair VERB 1
mend: They took a long time to mend the roof.
fix: If something is broken, we get it fixed.
restore: …the beautifully restored old town square.
re|pair|man /r I peə r mən/ (repairmen ) N‑COUNT A repairman is a man who mends broken machines such as televisions and phones. □ …a cheerful telephone repairman.
repa|ra|tion /re pəre I ʃ ə n/ (reparations )
1 N‑PLURAL Reparations are sums of money that are paid after a war by the defeated country for the damage and injuries it caused in other countries. □ Israel accepted billions of dollars in war reparations.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Reparation is help or payment that someone gives you for damage, loss, or suffering that they have caused you. □ There is a clear demand amongst victims for some sort of reparation from offenders.
rep|ar|tee /re pɑː r tiː , [AM ] -pərte I / N‑UNCOUNT Repartee is conversation that consists of quick, witty comments and replies. □ She was good at repartee.
re|past /r I pɑː st, -pæ st/ (repasts ) N‑COUNT A repast is a meal. [LITERARY ]
re|pat|ri|ate /riː pæ trie I t, [AM ] -pe I t-/ (repatriates , repatriating , repatriated ) VERB If a country repatriates someone, it sends them back to their home country. □ [V n] It was not the policy of the government to repatriate genuine refugees. ● re|pat|ria|tion /riː pæ trie I ʃ ə n, [AM ] -pe I t-/ (repatriations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …the forced repatriation of Vietnamese boat people.
re|pay /r I pe I / (repays , repaying , repaid )
1 VERB If you repay a loan or a debt, you pay back the money that you owe to the person who you borrowed or took it from. □ [V n] He advanced funds of his own to his company, which was unable to repay him.
2 VERB If you repay a favour that someone did for you, you do something for them in return. □ [V n] It was very kind. I don't know how I can ever repay you.
re|pay|able /r I pe I əb ə l/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] A loan that is repayable within a certain period of time must be paid back within that time. [mainly BRIT ] □ The loan is repayable over twenty years. in AM, usually use payable
re|pay|ment /r I pe I mənt/ (repayments )
1 N‑COUNT Repayments are amounts of money which you pay at regular intervals to a person or organization in order to repay a debt. □ They were unable to meet their mortgage repayments.
2 N‑UNCOUNT The repayment of money is the act or process of paying it back to the person you owe it to. □ [+ of ] He failed to meet last Friday's deadline for repayment of a £114m loan.
re|peal /r I piː l/ (repeals , repealing , repealed ) VERB If the government repeals a law, it officially ends it, so that it is no longer valid. □ [V n] The government has just repealed the law segregating public facilities. ● N‑UNCOUNT Repeal is also a noun. □ [+ of ] That year was the 60th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition.
re|peat ◆◆◇ /r I piː t/ (repeats , repeating , repeated )
1 VERB If you repeat something, you say or write it again. You can say I repeat to show that you feel strongly about what you are repeating. □ [V that] He repeated that he had been mis-quoted. □ [V n] The President repeated his call for the release of hostages. □ [V with quote] 'You fool,' she kept repeating.
2 VERB If you repeat something that someone else has said or written, you say or write the same thing, or tell it to another person. □ [V n] She had an irritating habit of repeating everything I said to her. □ [V n + to ] I trust you not to repeat that to anyone else. □ [V + after ] Repeat after me: 'Tomorrow is just another day.'
3 VERB If you repeat yourself , you say something which you have said before, usually by mistake. □ [V pron-refl] Then he started rambling and repeating himself.
4 VERB If you repeat an action, you do it again. □ [V n] The next day I repeated the procedure. □ [V ] Hold this position for 30 seconds, release and repeat on the other side.
5 VERB If an event or series of events repeats itself , it happens again. □ [V pron-refl] The U.N. will have to work hard to stop history repeating itself. [Also V ]
6 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If there is a repeat of an event, usually an undesirable event, it happens again. □ [+ of ] There were fears that there might be a repeat of last year's campaign of strikes.
7 ADJ [ADJ n] If a company gets repeat business or repeat customers, people who have bought their goods or services before buy them again. [BUSINESS ] □ Nearly 60% of our bookings come from repeat business and personal recommendation.
8 N‑COUNT A repeat is a television or radio programme that has been broadcast before. [BRIT ] □ There's nothing except sport and repeats on TV. in AM, use re-run
9 PHRASE If there is a repeat performance of something, usually something undesirable, it happens again. □ This year can only see a repeat performance of the decline. SYNONYMS repeat VERB 1
reiterate: He reiterated his opposition to the creation of a central bank.
restate: He continued throughout to restate his opposition to violence.
recapitulate: Let's just recapitulate the essential points.
re|peat|ed /r I piː t I d/ ADJ [ADJ n] Repeated actions or events are ones which happen many times. □ He did not return the money, despite repeated reminders.
re|peat|ed|ly /r I piː t I dli/ ADV [ADV with v] If you do something repeatedly , you do it many times. □ Both men have repeatedly denied the allegations.
re|pea t of|fe nd|er (repeat offenders ) N‑COUNT A repeat offender is someone who commits the same sort of crime more than once.
re|pea t pre|scri p|tion (repeat prescriptions ) N‑COUNT A repeat prescription is a prescription for a medicine that you have taken before or that you use regularly. [BRIT ]
re|pel /r I pe l/ (repels , repelling , repelled )
1 VERB When an army repels an attack, they successfully fight and drive back soldiers from another army who have attacked them. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] They have fifty thousand troops along the border ready to repel any attack.
2 VERB When a magnetic pole repels another magnetic pole, it gives out a force that pushes the other pole away. You can also say that two magnetic poles repel each other or that they repel . [TECHNICAL ] □ [V ] Like poles repel, unlike poles attract. □ [V n] As these electrons are negatively charged they will attempt to repel each other.
3 VERB [no cont] If something repels you, you find it horrible and disgusting. □ [V n] …a violent excitement that frightened and repelled her. ● re|pelled ADJ □ She was very striking but in some way I felt repelled.
re|pel|lant /r I pe lənt/ → see repellent
re|pel|lent /r I pe lənt/ (repellents ) The spelling repellant is also used for meaning 2 . 1 ADJ If you think that something is horrible and disgusting you can say that it is repellent . [FORMAL ] □ …a very large, very repellent toad.
2 N‑VAR [usu n N ] Insect repellent is a product containing chemicals that you spray into the air or on your body in order to keep insects away. □ …mosquito repellent.
re|pent /r I pe nt/ (repents , repenting , repented ) VERB If you repent , you show or say that you are sorry for something wrong you have done. □ [V ] Those who refuse to repent, he said, will be punished. □ [V + of/for ] Did he repent of anything in his life? [Also V n]
re|pent|ance /r I pe ntəns/ N‑UNCOUNT If you show repentance for something wrong that you have done, you make it clear that you are sorry for doing it. □ They showed no repentance during their trial.
re|pent|ant /r I pe ntənt/ ADJ Someone who is repentant shows or says that they are sorry for something wrong they have done. □ He was feeling guilty and depressed, repentant and scared.
re|per|cus|sion /riː pə r kʌ ʃ ə n/ (repercussions ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] If an action or event has repercussions , it causes unpleasant things to happen some time after the original action or event. [FORMAL ] □ It was an effort which was to have painful repercussions.
rep|er|toire /re pə r twɑː r / (repertoires )
1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A performer's repertoire is all the plays or pieces of music that he or she has learned and can perform. □ Meredith D'Ambrosio has thousands of songs in her repertoire.
2 N‑SING The repertoire of a person or thing is all the things of a particular kind that the person or thing is capable of doing. □ [+ of ] …Mike's impressive repertoire of funny stories.
rep|er|tory /re pə r tri, [AM ] -tɔːri/
1 N‑UNCOUNT [usu N n] A repertory company is a group of actors and actresses who perform a small number of plays for just a few weeks at a time. They work in a repertory theatre. □ …a well-known repertory company in Boston.
2 N‑SING [usu poss N ] A performer's repertory is all the plays or pieces of music that he or she has learned and can perform. □ Her repertory was vast and to her it seemed that each song told some part of her life.
rep|eti|tion /re p I t I ʃ ə n/ (repetitions )
1 N‑VAR If there is a repetition of an event, usually an undesirable event, it happens again. □ [+ of ] The government has taken measures to prevent a repetition of last year's confrontation.
2 N‑VAR Repetition means using the same words again. □ He could also have cut out much of the repetition and thus saved many pages.
rep|eti|tious /re p I t I ʃəs/ ADJ Something that is repetitious involves actions or elements that are repeated many times and is therefore boring. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The manifesto is long-winded, repetitious and often ambiguous or poorly drafted.
re|peti|tive /r I pe t I t I v/
1 ADJ Something that is repetitive involves actions or elements that are repeated many times and is therefore boring. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …factory workers who do repetitive jobs.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Repetitive movements or sounds are repeated many times. □ …problems that occur as the result of repetitive movements.
re|pe ti|tive strai n in|ju|ry N‑UNCOUNT Repetitive strain injury is the same as RSI . □ …computer users suffering from repetitive strain injury.
re|phrase /riː fre I z/ (rephrases , rephrasing , rephrased ) VERB If you rephrase a question or statement, you ask it or say it again in a different way. □ [V n] Again, the executive rephrased the question.
re|place ◆◆◇ /r I ple I s/ (replaces , replacing , replaced )
1 VERB If one thing or person replaces another, the first is used or acts instead of the second. □ [V n] The council tax replaced the poll tax in 1993. □ [V n + as ] …the city lawyer who replaced Bob as chairman of the company. □ [be V -ed + with/by ] The smile disappeared to be replaced by a doleful frown.
2 VERB If you replace one thing or person with another, you put something or someone else in their place to do their job. □ [V n + with ] I clean out all the grease and replace it with oil so it works better in very low temperatures. □ [V n] The BBC decided it could not replace her.
3 VERB If you replace something that is broken, damaged, or lost, you get a new one to use instead. □ [V n] The shower that we put in a few years back has broken and we cannot afford to replace it.
4 VERB If you replace something, you put it back where it was before. □ [V n] The line went dead. Whitlock replaced the receiver. □ [V n prep] Replace the caps on the bottles.
re|place|able /r I ple I səb ə l/
1 ADJ If something is replaceable , you can throw it away when it is finished and put a new one in its place. □ …replaceable butane gas cartridges.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you say that someone is replaceable , you mean that they are not so important that someone else could not take their place. □ He would see I was not so easily replaceable.
re|place|ment ◆◇◇ /r I ple I smənt/ (replacements )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If you refer to the replacement of one thing by another, you mean that the second thing takes the place of the first. □ [+ of ] …the replacement of damaged or lost books.
2 → see also hormone replacement therapy
3 N‑COUNT Someone who takes someone else's place in an organization, government, or team can be referred to as their replacement . □ Taylor has nominated Adams as his replacement. SYNONYMS replacement NOUN 1
substitution: In my experience a straight substitution of carob for chocolate doesn't work.
renewal: …urban renewal and regeneration.
re|pla ce|ment value N‑SING The replacement value of something that you own is the amount of money it would cost you to replace it, for example if it was stolen or damaged.
re|play (replays , replaying , replayed ) The verb is pronounced /riː ple I /. The noun is pronounced /riː ple I /. 1 VERB [usu passive] If a match between two sports teams is replayed , the two teams play it again, because neither team won the first time, or because the match was stopped because of bad weather. [mainly BRIT ] □ [be V -ed] Drawn matches were replayed three or four days later. ● N‑COUNT You can refer to a match that is replayed as a replay . □ If there has to be a replay we are confident of victory.
2 VERB If you replay something that you have recorded on film or tape, you play it again in order to watch it or listen to it. □ [V n] He stopped the machine and replayed the message. ● N‑COUNT Replay is also a noun. □ [+ of ] I watched a slow-motion replay of his fall.
3 VERB If you replay an event in your mind, you think about it again and again. □ [V n] She spends her nights lying in bed, replaying the fire in her mind.
4 → see also action replay , instant replay
re|plen|ish /r I ple n I ʃ/ (replenishes , replenishing , replenished ) VERB If you replenish something, you make it full or complete again. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Three hundred thousand tons of cereals are needed to replenish stocks.
re|plen|ish|ment /r I ple n I ʃmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Replenishment is the process by which something is made full or complete again. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] There is a concern about replenishment of the population.
re|plete /r I pliː t/
1 ADJ [v-link ADJ with n] To be replete with something means to be full of it. [FORMAL ] □ The Harbor was replete with boats.
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are replete , you are pleasantly full of food and drink. [FORMAL ] □ Replete, guests can then retire to the modern conservatory for coffee.
rep|li|ca /re pl I kə/ (replicas ) N‑COUNT A replica of something such as a statue, building, or weapon is an accurate copy of it. □ [+ of ] …a human-sized replica of the Statue of Liberty.
rep|li|cate /re pl I ke I t/ (replicates , replicating , replicated ) VERB If you replicate someone's experiment, work, or research, you do it yourself in exactly the same way. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] He invited her to his laboratory to see if she could replicate the experiment.
re|ply ◆◆◇ /r I pla I / (replies , replying , replied )
1 VERB When you reply to something that someone has said or written to you, you say or write an answer to them. □ [V with quote] 'That's a nice dress,' said Michael. 'Thanks,' she replied solemnly. □ [V that] He replied that this was absolutely impossible. □ [V ] Grace was too terrified to reply. □ [V + to ] To their surprise, hundreds replied to the advertisement.
2 N‑COUNT [oft in N ] A reply is something that you say or write when you answer someone or answer a letter or advertisement. □ I called out a challenge, but there was no reply. □ [+ to ] David has had 12 replies to his ad. □ He said in reply that the question was unfair. [Also + from ]
3 VERB If you reply to something such as an attack with violence or with another action, you do something in response. □ [V + with ] Farmers threw eggs and empty bottles at police, who replied with tear gas. □ [V + to/with ] The National Salvation Front has already replied to this series of opposition moves with its own demonstrations. COLLOCATIONS reply VERB 1
reply + adverb : calmly, coolly, curtly, tersely; individually, personally NOUN 2
adjective + reply : immediate, instant, prompt, succinct; genuine, personal, standard; written
verb + reply : receive; send
re|port ◆◆◆ /r I pɔː r t/ (reports , reporting , reported )
1 VERB If you report something that has happened, you tell people about it. □ [V n] They had been called in to clear drains after local people reported a foul smell. □ [V n + to ] I reported the theft to the police. □ [V that] The RSPCA reported that 10,610 cats were abandoned last year. □ [V with quote] 'He seems to be all right now,' reported a relieved Taylor. □ [be V -ed + as ] The foreign secretary is reported as saying that force will have to be used if diplomacy fails. □ [V n adj] She reported him missing the next day. □ [be V -ed to-inf] Between forty and fifty people are reported to have died in the fighting. [Also it be V -ed that, V ]
2 VERB If you report on an event or subject, you tell people about it, because it is your job or duty to do so. □ [V + on ] Many journalists enter the country to report on political affairs. □ [V + to ] I'll report to you later.
3 N‑COUNT A report is a news article or broadcast which gives information about something that has just happened. □ …a report in London's Independent newspaper.
4 N‑COUNT A report is an official document which a group of people issue after investigating a situation or event. □ After an inspection, the inspectors must publish a report. [Also + on/by ]
5 N‑COUNT If you give someone a report on something, you tell them what has been happening. □ She came back to give us a progress report on how the project is going.
6 N‑COUNT [usu pl, N that] If you say that there are reports that something has happened, you mean that some people say it has happened but you have no direct evidence of it. □ There were unconfirmed reports of several arrests. [Also + of ]
7 VERB If someone reports you to a person in authority, they tell that person about something wrong that you have done. □ [V n + to ] His daughter reported him to police a few days later. □ [be V -ed + for ] She was reported for speeding twice on the same road within a week.
8 VERB If you report to a person or place, you go to that person or place and say that you are ready to start work or say that you are present. □ [V + to ] He has to surrender his passport and report to the police every five days. □ [V + for ] None of the men had reported for duty.
9 VERB [no cont] If you say that one employee reports to another, you mean that the first employee is told what to do by the second one and is responsible to them. [FORMAL ] □ [V + to ] He reported to a section chief, who reported to a division chief, and so on up the line.
10 N‑COUNT A school report is an official written account of how well or how badly a pupil has done during the term or year that has just finished. [BRIT ] □ And now she was getting bad school reports. in AM, use report card 11 N‑COUNT A report is a sudden loud noise, for example the sound of a gun being fired or an explosion. [FORMAL ] □ Soon afterwards there was a loud report as the fuel tanks exploded.
12 → see also reporting
▸ report back
1 PHRASAL VERB If you report back to someone, you tell them about something that they asked you to find out about. □ [V P + to ] The teams are due to report back to the Prime Minister early next year. □ [V P ] I'll report back the moment I have located him. □ [V P + on ] He would, of course, report back on all deliberations. □ [V P that] The repairman reported back that the computer had a virus. [Also V n P , V P n]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you report back to a place, you go back there and say that you are ready to start work or say that you are present. □ [V P + to ] The authorities have ordered all soldiers to report back to barracks. □ [V P ] They were sent home and told to report back in the afternoon. [Also V P + for ]
re|port|age /r I pɔː r t I dʒ, re pɔː r tɑː ʒ/ N‑UNCOUNT Reportage is the reporting of news and other events of general interest for newspapers, television, and radio. [FORMAL ] □ …the magazine's acclaimed mix of reportage and fashion.
re|po rt card (report cards )
1 N‑COUNT A report card is an official written account of how well or how badly a pupil has done during the term or year that has just finished. [AM ] □ The only time I got their attention was when I brought home straight A's on my report card. in BRIT, use report 2 N‑COUNT A report card is a report on how well a person, organization, or country has been doing recently. [AM , JOURNALISM ] □ The President today issued his final report card on the state of the economy.
re|po rt|ed clause (reported clauses ) N‑COUNT A reported clause is a subordinate clause that indicates what someone said or thought. For example, in 'She said that she was hungry', 'she was hungry' is a reported clause. [BRIT ]
re|port|ed|ly /r I pɔː r t I dli/ ADV [ADV before v] If you say that something is reportedly true, you mean that someone has said that it is true, but you have no direct evidence of it. [FORMAL , VAGUENESS ] □ More than two hundred people have reportedly been killed in the past week's fighting.
re|po rt|ed que s|tion (reported questions ) N‑COUNT A reported question is a question which is reported using a clause beginning with a word such as 'why' or 'whether', as in 'I asked her why she'd done it'. [BRIT ]
re|po rt|ed spee ch N‑UNCOUNT Reported speech is speech which tells you what someone said, but does not use the person's actual words: for example, 'They said you didn't like it', 'I asked him what his plans were', and 'Citizens complained about the smoke'. [BRIT ] in AM, use indirect discourse
re|port|er ◆◆◇ /r I pɔː r tə r / (reporters ) N‑COUNT A reporter is someone who writes news articles or who broadcasts news reports. □ …a TV reporter. □ …a trainee sports reporter. COLLOCATIONS reporter NOUN 1
noun + reporter : news, newspaper, television; crime, sports, war
adjective + reporter : financial, foreign, local, political; intrepid, investigative, roving, undercover; freelance
verb + reporter : brief, tell; assign
re|port|ing ◆◆◇ /r I pɔː r t I ŋ/ N‑UNCOUNT Reporting is the presenting of news in newspapers, on radio, and on television. □ …honest and impartial political reporting.
re|po rt|ing clause (reporting clauses ) N‑COUNT A reporting clause is a clause which indicates that you are talking about what someone said or thought. For example, in 'She said that she was hungry', 'She said' is a reporting clause. [BRIT ]
re|po rt struc|ture (report structures ) N‑COUNT A report structure is a structure containing a reporting clause and a reported clause or a quote. [BRIT ]
re|pose /r I poʊ z/ N‑UNCOUNT Repose is a state in which you are resting and feeling calm. [LITERARY ] □ He had a still, almost blank face in repose.
re|po|si|tion /riː pəz I ʃən/ (repositions , repositioning , repositioned )
1 VERB To reposition an object means to move it to another place or to change its position. □ [V n] It is not possible to reposition the carpet without damaging it.
2 VERB To reposition something such as a product or service means to try to interest more or different people in it, for example by changing certain things about it or the way it is marketed. □ [V n] The sell-off repositioned the company as a publisher of business information. □ [V pron-refl] Mazda needs to reposition itself if it is to boost its sales and reputation.
re|posi|tory /r I pɒ z I tri, [AM ] -tɔːri/ (repositories ) N‑COUNT A repository is a place where something is kept safely. [FORMAL ] □ [+ for ] A church in Moscow became a repository for police files.
re|pos|sess /riː pəze s/ (repossesses , repossessing , repossessed ) VERB [usu passive] If your car or house is repossessed , the people who supplied it take it back because they are still owed money for it. □ [be V -ed] His car was repossessed by the company.
re|pos|ses|sion /riː pəze ʃ ə n/ (repossessions )
1 N‑VAR The repossession of someone's house is the act of repossessing it. □ …the problem of home repossessions.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to a house or car that has been repossessed as a repossession . □ Many of the cars you will see at auction are repossessions.
re|pos|se s|sion or|der (repossession orders ) N‑COUNT If a bank or building society issues a repossession order , they officially tell someone that they are going to repossess their home. [BRIT ]
re|pot /riː pɒ t/ (repots , repotting , repotted ) VERB If you repot a plant, you take it out of its pot and put it in a larger one. □ [V n] As your plants flourish, you'll need to repot them in bigger pots.
rep|re|hen|sible /re pr I he ns I b ə l/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you think that a type of behaviour or an idea is very bad and morally wrong, you can say that it is reprehensible . [FORMAL ] □ Mr Cramer said the violence by anti-government protestors was reprehensible.
rep|re|sent ◆◆◇ /re pr I ze nt/ (represents , representing , represented )
1 VERB If someone such as a lawyer or a politician represents a person or group of people, they act on behalf of that person or group. □ [V n] …the politicians we elect to represent us.
2 VERB If you represent a person or group at an official event, you go there on their behalf. □ [V n] The general secretary may represent the president at official ceremonies.
3 VERB If you represent your country or town in a competition or sports event, you take part in it on behalf of the country or town where you live. □ [V n] My only aim is to represent Britain at the Commonwealth Games.
4 V-PASSIVE If a group of people or things is well represented in a particular activity or in a particular place, a lot of them can be found there. □ [be adv V -ed] Sadly, women leaders are not well represented in our churches. □ [be V -ed] In New Mexico all kinds of cuisines are represented.
5 V‑LINK If you say that something represents a change, achievement, or victory, you mean that it is a change, achievement, or victory. [FORMAL or WRITTEN ] □ [V n] These developments represented a major change in the established order.
6 VERB [no cont] If a sign or symbol represents something, it is accepted as meaning that thing. □ [V n] A black dot in the middle of the circle is supposed to represent the source of the radiation.
7 VERB [no cont, no passive] To represent an idea or quality means to be a symbol or an expression of that idea or quality. □ [V n] We believe you represent everything British racing needs.
8 VERB If you represent a person or thing as a particular thing, you describe them as being that thing. □ [V n + as ] The popular press tends to represent him as an environmental guru. SYNONYMS represent VERB
2
stand in: I had to stand in for her on Tuesday when she didn't show up.
substitute: He was substituting for the injured William Wales.
7
exemplify: The room's style exemplifies Conran's ideal of 'beauty and practicality'.
embody: Jack Kennedy embodied all the hopes of the 1960s.
symbolize: …the post-war world order symbolised by the United Nations.
epitomize: …the sleek lift that epitomized the hotel's glossy decor.
rep|re|sen|ta|tion /re pr I zente I ʃ ə n/ (representations )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If a group or person has representation in a parliament or on a committee, someone in the parliament or on the committee supports them and makes decisions on their behalf. □ Independent shareholders who own about half the stock now have no representation on the board.
2 → see also proportional representation
3 N‑COUNT You can describe a picture, model, or statue of a person or thing as a representation of them. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …a lifelike representation of Christ.
4 N‑PLURAL If you make representations to a government or other official group, you make formal complaints or requests to them. □ [+ to ] We have made representations to ministers but they just don't seem to be listening. [Also + from ]
rep|re|sen|ta|tion|al /re pr I zente I ʃən ə l/ ADJ In a representational painting, the artist attempts to show things as they really are. [FORMAL ] □ His painting went through both representational and abstract periods.
rep|re|senta|tive ◆◆◇ /re pr I ze ntət I v/ (representatives )
1 N‑COUNT A representative is a person who has been chosen to act or make decisions on behalf of another person or a group of people. □ …trade union representatives.
2 N‑COUNT A representative is a person whose job is to sell a company's products or services, especially by travelling round and visiting other companies. [FORMAL ] □ She had a stressful job as a sales representative.
3 ADJ [ADJ n] A representative group consists of a small number of people who have been chosen to make decisions on behalf of a larger group. □ The new head of state should be chosen by an 87 member representative council.
4 ADJ Someone who is typical of the group to which they belong can be described as representative . □ [+ of ] He was in no way representative of dog-trainers in general. ● rep|re|senta|tive|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …a process designed to ensure the representativeness of the sample interviewed.
5 N‑COUNT In the United States, a Representative is a member of the House of Representatives, the less powerful of the two parts of Congress.
6 → see also House of Representatives SYNONYMS representative NOUN 1
delegate: She was elected as their delegate.
agent: You are buying direct, rather than through an agent.
deputy: …Jack Lang, France's minister for culture, and his deputy, Catherine Tasca.
proxy: Price differences are used as a proxy for differences in quality.
re|press /r I pre s/ (represses , repressing , repressed )
1 VERB If you repress a feeling, you make a deliberate effort not to show or have this feeling. □ [be V -ed] It is anger that is repressed that leads to violence and loss of control. □ [V -ed] …repressed aggression.
2 VERB If you repress a smile, sigh, or moan, you try hard not to smile, sigh, or moan. □ [V n] I couldn't repress a sigh of admiration.
3 VERB If a section of society is repressed , their freedom is restricted by the people who have authority over them. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] …a U.N. resolution banning him from repressing his people.
re|pressed /r I pre st/ ADJ A repressed person is someone who does not allow themselves to have natural feelings and desires, especially sexual ones. □ Some have charged that the Puritans were sexually repressed and inhibited.
re|pres|sion /r I pre ʃ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Repression is the use of force to restrict and control a society or other group of people. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a society conditioned by violence and repression.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Repression of feelings, especially sexual ones, is a person's unwillingness to allow themselves to have natural feelings and desires. □ [+ of ] …the repression of his feelings about men.
re|pres|sive /r I pre s I v/ ADJ A repressive government is one that restricts people's freedom and controls them by using force. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ The military regime in power was unpopular and repressive. ● re|pres|sive|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ …the country, which had been repressively ruled for ten years.
re|prieve /r I priː v/ (reprieves , reprieving , reprieved )
1 VERB [usu passive, no cont] If someone who has been sentenced in a court is reprieved , their punishment is officially delayed or cancelled. □ [be V -ed] Fourteen people on death row for murder have been reprieved. ● N‑VAR Reprieve is also a noun □ A man awaiting death by lethal injection has been saved by a last minute reprieve.
2 N‑COUNT [usu sing] A reprieve is a delay before a very unpleasant or difficult situation which may or may not take place. □ It looked as though the college would have to shut, but this week it was given a reprieve.
rep|ri|mand /re pr I mɑːnd, -mæ nd/ (reprimands , reprimanding , reprimanded ) VERB If someone is reprimanded , they are spoken to angrily or seriously for doing something wrong, usually by a person in authority. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed + for ] He was reprimanded by a teacher for talking in the corridor. □ [V n] Her attempts to reprimand him were quickly shouted down. ● N‑VAR Reprimand is also a noun. □ He has been fined five thousand pounds and given a severe reprimand.
re|print (reprints , reprinting , reprinted ) The verb is pronounced /riː pr I nt/. The noun is pronounced /riː pr I nt/. 1 VERB [usu passive] If a book is reprinted , further copies of it are printed when all the other ones have been sold. □ [be V -ed] It remained an exceptionally rare book until it was reprinted in 1918.
2 N‑COUNT A reprint is a process in which new copies of a book or article are printed because all the other ones have been sold. □ Demand picked up and a reprint was required last November.
3 N‑COUNT A reprint is a new copy of a book or article, printed because all the other ones have been sold or because minor changes have been made to the original. □ [+ of ] …a reprint of a 1962 novel.
re|pris|al /r I pra I z ə l/ (reprisals ) N‑VAR If you do something to a person in reprisal , you hurt or punish them because they have done something violent or unpleasant to you. □ Witnesses are unwilling to testify through fear of reprisals.
re|prise /r I priː z/ (reprises , reprising , reprised ) N‑COUNT In music, if there is a reprise , an earlier section of music is repeated.
re|proach /r I proʊ tʃ/ (reproaches , reproaching , reproached )
1 VERB If you reproach someone, you say or show that you are disappointed, upset, or angry because they have done something wrong. □ [V n] She is quick to reproach anyone who doesn't live up to her own high standards. □ [V n + for ] She had not even reproached him for breaking his promise.
2 N‑VAR If you look at or speak to someone with reproach , you show or say that you are disappointed, upset, or angry because they have done something wrong. □ He looked at her with reproach. □ Women in public life must be beyond reproach.
3 VERB If you reproach yourself , you think with regret about something you have done wrong. □ [V pron-refl] You've no reason to reproach yourself, no reason to feel shame. □ [V pron-refl + for ] We begin to reproach ourselves for not having been more careful.
re|proach|ful /r I proʊ tʃfʊl/ ADJ Reproachful expressions or remarks show that you are disappointed, upset, or angry because someone has done something wrong. □ She gave Isabelle a reproachful look. ● re|proach|ful|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ Luke's mother stopped smiling and looked reproachfully at him.
rep|ro|bate /re prəbe I t/ (reprobates ) N‑COUNT If you describe someone as a reprobate , you mean that they behave in a way that is not respectable or morally correct. [OLD-FASHIONED , DISAPPROVAL ] □ …a drunken reprobate.
re|pro|duce /riː prədjuː s, [AM ] -duː s/ (reproduces , reproducing , reproduced )
1 VERB If you try to reproduce something, you try to copy it. □ [V n] I shall not try to reproduce the policemen's English. □ [V n] The effect has proved hard to reproduce.
2 VERB If you reproduce a picture, speech, or a piece of writing, you make a photograph or printed copy of it. □ [V n] We are grateful to you for permission to reproduce this article.
3 VERB If you reproduce an action or an achievement, you repeat it. □ [V n] If we can reproduce the form we have shown in the last couple of months we will be successful.
4 VERB When people, animals, or plants reproduce , they produce young. □ [V ] …a society where women are defined by their ability to reproduce. □ [V pron-refl] We are not reproducing ourselves fast enough to pay for the welfare of our older citizens. ● re|pro|duc|tion /riː prədʌ kʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Genes are those tiny bits of biological information swapped in sexual reproduction.
re|pro|duc|tion /riː prədʌ kʃ ə n/ (reproductions )
1 N‑COUNT [oft N n] A reproduction is a copy of something such as a piece of furniture or a work of art. □ [+ of ] …a reproduction of a popular religious painting.
2 → see also reproduce
3 N‑UNCOUNT Sound reproduction is the recording of sound onto tapes, CDs, or films so that it can be heard by a large number of people. □ …the increasingly high technology of music reproduction.
re|pro|duc|tive /riː prədʌ kt I v/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Reproductive processes and organs are concerned with the reproduction of living things. □ …the female reproductive system.
re|proof /r I pruː f/ (reproofs ) N‑VAR If you say or do something in reproof , you say or do it to show that you disapprove of what someone has done or said. [FORMAL ] □ She raised her eyebrows in reproof. □ …a reproof that she responded to right away.
re|prove /r I pruː v/ (reproves , reproving , reproved ) VERB If you reprove someone, you speak angrily or seriously to them because they have behaved in a wrong or foolish way. [FORMAL ] □ [V with quote] 'There's no call for talk like that,' Mrs Evans reproved him. □ [be V -ed] Women were reproved if they did not wear hats in court.
re|prov|ing /r I pruː v I ŋ/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you give someone a reproving look or speak in a reproving voice, you show or say that you think they have behaved in a wrong or foolish way. [FORMAL ] □ 'Flatterer,' she said giving him a mock reproving look. ● reprov|ing|ly ADV [ADV after v] □ 'I'm trying to sleep,' he lied, speaking reprovingly.
rep|tile /re pta I l, [AM ] -t I l/ (reptiles ) N‑COUNT Reptiles are a group of cold-blooded animals which have skins covered with small hard plates called scales and lay eggs. Snakes, lizards, and crocodiles are reptiles.
rep|til|ian /rept I liən/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A reptilian creature is a reptile. □ …a prehistoric jungle occupied by reptilian creatures.
2 ADJ You can also use the word reptilian to describe something that is characteristic of a reptile or that is like a reptile. □ The chick is ugly and almost reptilian in its appearance.
re|pub|lic ◆◆◇ /r I pʌ bl I k/ (republics )
1 N‑COUNT [oft in names] A republic is a country where power is held by the people or the representatives that they elect. Republics have presidents who are elected, rather than kings or queens. □ …the Baltic republics. □ [+ of ] …the Republic of Ireland.
2 → see also banana republic
re|pub|li|can ◆◆◇ /r I pʌ bl I kən/ (republicans )
1 ADJ Republican means relating to a republic. In republican systems of government, power is held by the people or the representatives that they elect. □ …the nations that had adopted the republican form of government.
2 ADJ In the United States, if someone is Republican , they belong to or support the Republican Party. □ …Republican voters. □ Some families have been Republican for generations. ● N‑COUNT A Republican is someone who supports or belongs to the Republican Party. □ What made you decide to become a Republican?
3 ADJ In Northern Ireland, if someone is Republican , they believe that Northern Ireland should not be ruled by Britain but should become part of the Republic of Ireland. □ …a Republican paramilitary group. ● N‑COUNT A Republican is someone who has Republican views. □ …a Northern Ireland Republican.
re|pub|li|can|ism /r I pʌ bl I kən I zəm/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Republicanism is the belief that the best system of government is a republic.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Republicanism is support for or membership of the Republican Party in the United States.
Re|pu b|li|can Par|ty N‑PROPER The Republican Party is one of the two main political parties in the United States. It is more right-wing or conservative than the Democratic Party.
re|pu|di|ate /r I pjuː die I t/ (repudiates , repudiating , repudiated ) VERB If you repudiate something or someone, you show that you strongly disagree with them and do not want to be connected with them in any way. [FORMAL or WRITTEN ] □ [V n] Leaders urged people to turn out in large numbers to repudiate the violence. ● re|pu|dia|tion /r I pjuː die I ʃ ə n/ (repudiations ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …his public repudiation of the conference decision.
re|pug|nant /r I pʌ gnənt/ ADJ If you think that something is horrible and disgusting, you can say that it is repugnant . [FORMAL ] □ [+ to ] The odour is repugnant to insects. ● re|pug|nance N‑UNCOUNT □ She felt a deep sense of shame and repugnance.
re|pulse /r I pʌ ls/ (repulses , repulsing , repulsed )
1 VERB [usu passive] If you are repulsed by something, you think that it is horrible and disgusting and you want to avoid it. □ [be V -ed] Evil has charisma. Though people are repulsed by it, they also are drawn to its power.
2 VERB If an army or other group repulses a group of people, they drive it back using force. □ [V n] The armed forces were prepared to repulse any attacks.
re|pul|sion /r I pʌ lʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Repulsion is an extremely strong feeling of disgust. □ She gave a dramatic shudder of repulsion.
re|pul|sive /r I pʌ ls I v/ ADJ If you describe something or someone as repulsive , you mean that they are horrible and disgusting and you want to avoid them. □ …repulsive fat white slugs. ● re|pul|sive|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ …a repulsively large rat.
repu|table /re pjʊtəb ə l/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] A reputable company or person is reliable and can be trusted. □ You are well advised to buy your car through a reputable dealer.
repu|ta|tion ◆◇◇ /re pjʊte I ʃ ə n/ (reputations )
1 N‑COUNT To have a reputation for something means to be known or remembered for it. □ [+ for ] Alice Munro has a reputation for being a very depressing writer.
2 N‑COUNT Something's or someone's reputation is the opinion that people have about how good they are. If they have a good reputation, people think they are good. □ The stories ruined his reputation.
3 PHRASE If you know someone by reputation , you have never met them but you have heard of their reputation. □ She was by reputation a good organiser.
re|pute /r I pjuː t/
1 PHRASE A person or thing of repute or of high repute is respected and known to be good. [FORMAL ] □ He was a writer of repute.
2 N‑UNCOUNT A person's or organization's repute is their reputation, especially when this is good. [FORMAL ] □ Under his stewardship, the U.N.'s repute has risen immeasurably.
re|put|ed /r I pjuː t I d/ V-PASSIVE If you say that something is reputed to be true, you mean that people say it is true, but you do not know if it is definitely true. [FORMAL , VAGUENESS ] □ [be V -ed to-inf] The monster is reputed to live in the deep dark water of a Scottish loch. ● re|put|ed|ly /r I pjuː t I dli/ ADV [ADV before v] □ He reputedly earns two million pounds a year.
re|quest ◆◆◇ /r I kwe st/ (requests , requesting , requested )
1 VERB If you request something, you ask for it politely or formally. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Mr Dennis said he had requested access to a telephone. □ [V that] She had requested that the door to her room be left open.
2 VERB If you request someone to do something, you politely or formally ask them to do it. [FORMAL ] □ [be V -ed to-inf] Students are requested to park at the rear of the Department. [Also V with quote]
3 N‑COUNT [N that/to-inf] If you make a request , you politely or formally ask someone to do something. □ [+ for ] France had agreed to his request for political asylum.
4 N‑COUNT A request is a song or piece of music which someone has asked a performer or disc jockey to play. □ If you have any requests, I'd be happy to play them for you.
5 PHRASE If you do something at someone's request , you do it because they have asked you to. □ The girls were made wards of court at the request of a local authority.
6 PHRASE If something is given or done on request , it is given or done whenever you ask for it. □ Leaflets giving details are available on request. COLLOCATIONS request NOUN 3
noun + request : extradition, interview, transfer
adjective + request : formal, official, polite, special; repeated, written
verb + request : make, submit; deny, decline, refuse, reject; consider, grant, receive VERB 1
request + noun : access, anonymity, information, permission; hearing, meeting
request + adverb : formally, specifically; politely, respectfully SYNONYMS request VERB 1
ask for: I decided to go to the next house and ask for food.
appeal for: The United Nations has appealed for help from the international community.
demand: Mr Byers last night demanded an immediate explanation from the Education Secretary. NOUN 3
appeal: Romania's government issued a last-minute appeal to him to call off his trip.
demand: There have been demands for services from tenants up there.
call: There have been calls for a new kind of security arrangement.
plea: Mr Nicholas made his emotional plea for help in solving the killing.
requi|em /re kwiem/ (requiems )
1 N‑COUNT A requiem or a requiem mass is a Catholic church service in memory of someone who has recently died.
2 N‑COUNT [oft in names] A requiem is a piece of music for singers and musicians that can be performed either as part of a requiem mass or as part of a concert. □ …a performance of Verdi's Requiem.
re|quire ◆◆◇ /r I kwa I ə r / (requires , requiring , required )
1 VERB If you require something or if something is required , you need it or it is necessary. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] If you require further information, you should consult the registrar. □ [V n to-inf] This isn't the kind of crisis that requires us to drop everything else. □ [V -ed] Some of the materials required for this technique may be difficult to obtain.
2 VERB If a law or rule requires you to do something, you have to do it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n to-inf] The rules also require employers to provide safety training. □ [V n] At least 35 manufacturers have flouted a law requiring prompt reporting of such malfunctions. □ [V that] The law requires that employees are given the opportunity to improve their performance before they are dismissed. □ [be V -ed + of ] Then he'll know exactly what's required of him.
3 PHRASE If you say that something is required reading for a particular group of people, you mean that you think it is essential for them to read it because it will give them information which they should have. □ [+ for ] It is an important report that should be required reading for every MP. SYNONYMS require VERB 1
need: He desperately needed money.
depend on: He depended on his writing for his income.
necessitate: Frank was carrying out fuel-system tests which necessitated turning the booster pumps off.
re|quire|ment ◆◇◇ /r I kwa I ə r mənt/ (requirements )
1 N‑COUNT A requirement is a quality or qualification that you must have in order to be allowed to do something or to be suitable for something. □ Its products met all legal requirements.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Your requirements are the things that you need. [FORMAL ] □ Variations of this programme can be arranged to suit your requirements. SYNONYMS requirement NOUN 1
necessity: There is agreement on the necessity of reforms.
need: There's no need for you to stay.
requi|site /re kw I z I t/ (requisites )
1 ADJ You can use requisite to indicate that something is necessary for a particular purpose. [FORMAL ] □ She filled in the requisite paperwork.
2 N‑COUNT A requisite is something which is necessary for a particular purpose. [FORMAL ] □ [+ for ] An understanding of accounting techniques is a major requisite for the work of the analysts.
requi|si|tion /re kw I z I ʃ ə n/ (requisitions , requisitioning , requisitioned )
1 VERB If people in authority requisition a vehicle, building, or food, they formally demand it and take it for official use. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Authorities requisitioned hotel rooms to lodge more than 3,000 stranded vacationers.
2 N‑COUNT A requisition is a written document which allows a person or organization to obtain goods. □ [+ for ] …a requisition for a replacement photocopier.
re -rou te (re-routes , re-routing , re-routed ) also reroute VERB If vehicles or planes are re-routed , they are directed along a different route because the usual route cannot be used. □ [be V -ed] The heavy traffic was re-routed past my front door. □ [V n] They rerouted the planes at La Guardia airport.
re-run (re-runs , re-running , re-ran ) The spelling rerun is also used. The form re-run is used in the present tense and is also the past participle of the verb. The noun is pronounced /riː rʌn/. The verb is pronounced /riː rʌ n/. 1 N‑SING If you say that something is a re-run of a particular event or experience, you mean that what happens now is very similar to what happened in the past. □ [+ of ] It was the world's second worst air disaster, a horrific re-run of the runway collision in 1977.
2 VERB If someone re-runs a process or event, they do it or organize it again. □ [V n] Edit the input text and re-run the software. ● N‑COUNT Re-run is also a noun. □ In the re-run he failed to make the final at all, finishing sixth.
3 VERB [usu passive] If an election is re-run , it is organized again, for example because the correct procedures were not followed or because no candidate got a large enough majority. □ [be V -ed] The ballot was re-run on Mr Todd's insistence after accusations of malpractice. ● N‑COUNT Re-run is also a noun. □ [+ of ] The opposition has demanded a re-run of parliamentary elections held yesterday.
4 VERB To re-run a film, play, or television programme means to show it or put it on again. □ [V n] They re-ran the World Cup final on a big screen.
5 N‑COUNT A re-run is a film, play, or television programme that is shown or put on again. □ Viewers will have to make do with tired re-runs and second-rate movies. [Also + of ]
re|sale /riː se I l/ N‑UNCOUNT [N n] The resale price of something that you own is the amount of money that you would get if you sold it. □ …a well-maintained used car with a good resale value.
re|sat /riː sæ t/ Resat is the past tense and past participle of resit .
re|sched|ule /riː ʃe djuːl, [AM ] -ske dʒuːl/ (reschedules , rescheduling , rescheduled )
1 VERB If someone reschedules an event, they change the time at which it is supposed to happen. □ [V n] Since I'll be away, I'd like to reschedule the meeting. □ [V n + for/to ] They've rescheduled the vigil for February 14th. ● re|sched|ul|ing (reschedulings ) N‑VAR □ [+ of ] All this could lead up to a rescheduling of the trip to Asia.
2 VERB To reschedule a debt means to arrange for the person, organization, or country that owes money to pay it back over a longer period because they are in financial difficulty. □ [V n] …companies that have gone bust or had to reschedule their debts. ● re|sched|ul|ing N‑VAR □ [+ of ] The President is also expected to request a rescheduling of loan repayments.
re|scind /r I s I nd/ (rescinds , rescinding , rescinded ) VERB If a government or a group of people in power rescind a law or agreement, they officially withdraw it and state that it is no longer valid. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] Trade Union leaders have demanded the government rescind the price rise.
res|cue ◆◇◇ /re skjuː/ (rescues , rescuing , rescued )
1 VERB If you rescue someone, you get them out of a dangerous or unpleasant situation. □ [V n] Helicopters rescued nearly 20 people from the roof of the burning building. ● res|cu|er (rescuers ) N‑COUNT □ It took rescuers 90 minutes to reach the trapped men.
2 N‑UNCOUNT [oft N n] Rescue is help which gets someone out of a dangerous or unpleasant situation. □ A big rescue operation has been launched for a trawler missing at sea.
3 N‑COUNT A rescue is an attempt to save someone from a dangerous or unpleasant situation. □ A major air-sea rescue is under way.
4 PHRASE If you go to someone's rescue or come to their rescue , you help them when they are in danger or difficulty. □ The 23-year-old's screams alerted a passerby who went to her rescue.
re|search ◆◆◆ /r I sɜː r tʃ/ (researches , researching , researched )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Research is work that involves studying something and trying to discover facts about it. □ 65 percent of the 1987 budget went for nuclear weapons research and production.
2 VERB If you research something, you try to discover facts about it. □ [V n] She spent two years in South Florida researching and filming her documentary. □ [V ] So far we haven't been able to find anything, but we're still researching. ● re|search|er (researchers ) N‑COUNT □ He chose to join the company as a market researcher. SYNONYMS research NOUN 1
study: …the use of maps and visual evidence in the study of local history.
investigation: He ordered an investigation into the affair.
analysis: The report is a result of careful analysis of the data.
experimentation: …the ethical aspects of animal experimentation. VERB 2
investigate: Police are still investigating how the accident happened.
study: I know that you've been studying chimpanzees for thirty years now.
examine: Forensic scientists are examining what police believe to have been the bombers' car.
experiment: In 1857 Mendel started experimenting with peas in his monastery garden.
re|sea rch fe l|low (research fellows ) N‑COUNT A research fellow is a member of an academic institution whose job is to do research.
re|sell /riː se l/ (resells , reselling , resold ) VERB If you resell something that you have bought, you sell it again. □ [V n] Shopkeepers buy them in bulk and resell them for £150 each. □ [V ] It makes sense to buy at dealer prices so you can maximize your profits if you resell.
re|sem|blance /r I ze mbləns/ (resemblances ) N‑VAR [oft adj N ] If there is a resemblance between two people or things, they are similar to each other. □ [+ between ] There was a remarkable resemblance between him and Pete. [Also + to ]
re|sem|ble /r I ze mb ə l/ (resembles , resembling , resembled ) VERB [no cont] If one thing or person resembles another, they are similar to each other. □ [V n] The fish had white, firm flesh that resembled chicken.
re|sent /r I ze nt/ (resents , resenting , resented ) VERB If you resent someone or something, you feel bitter and angry about them. □ [V n] She resents her mother for being so tough on her.
re|sent|ful /r I ze ntfʊl/ ADJ If you are resentful , you feel resentment. □ [+ about ] At first I felt very resentful and angry about losing my job. ● re|sent|ful|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ For a moment she continued to look at him resentfully.
re|sent|ment /r I ze ntmənt/ (resentments ) N‑UNCOUNT Resentment is bitterness and anger that someone feels about something. □ [+ at ] She expressed resentment at being interviewed by a social worker.
res|er|va|tion /re zə r ve I ʃ ə n/ (reservations )
1 N‑VAR If you have reservations about something, you are not sure that it is entirely good or right. □ [+ about ] I told him my main reservation about his film was the ending.
2 N‑COUNT If you make a reservation , you arrange for something such as a table in a restaurant or a room in a hotel to be kept for you. □ He went to the desk to make a reservation.
3 N‑COUNT A reservation is an area of land that is kept separate for a particular group of people to live in. □ Seventeen thousand Native Americans live on this reservation.
4 → see also central reservation
re|serve ◆◆◇ /r I zɜː r v/ (reserves , reserving , reserved )
1 VERB [usu passive] If something is reserved for a particular person or purpose, it is kept specially for that person or purpose. □ [be V -ed + for ] A double room with a balcony overlooking the sea had been reserved for him.
2 VERB If you reserve something such as a table, ticket, or magazine, you arrange for it to be kept specially for you, rather than sold or given to someone else. □ [V n] I'll reserve a table for five.
3 N‑COUNT A reserve is a supply of something that is available for use when it is needed. □ The Gulf has 65 per cent of the world's oil reserves.
4 N‑COUNT In sports, a reserve is someone who is available to play as part of a team if one of the members is ill or cannot play. [mainly BRIT ] □ He ended up as a reserve, but still qualified for a team gold medal. in AM, use substitute 5 N‑COUNT A nature reserve is an area of land where the animals, birds, and plants are officially protected. □ Marine biologists are calling for Cardigan Bay to be created a marine nature reserve to protect the dolphins.
6 N‑UNCOUNT If someone shows reserve , they keep their feelings hidden. □ His natural reserve made him appear self-conscious.
7 PHRASE If you have something in reserve , you have it available for use when it is needed. □ The company needs to keep some cash in reserve.
8 to reserve judgment → see judgment
9 to reserve the right → see right ➌
re|served /r I zɜː r vd/
1 ADJ Someone who is reserved keeps their feelings hidden. □ He was unemotional, quite quiet, and reserved.
2 ADJ A table in a restaurant or a seat in a theatre that is reserved is being kept for someone rather than given or sold to anyone else. □ Seats, or sometimes entire tables, were reserved.
re|se rve price (reserve prices ) N‑COUNT A reserve price is the lowest price which is acceptable to the owner of property being auctioned or sold. [BRIT , BUSINESS ]
re|serv|ist /r I zɜː r v I st/ (reservists ) N‑COUNT Reservists are soldiers who are not serving in the regular army of a country, but who can be called to serve whenever they are needed.
res|er|voir /re zə r vwɑː r / (reservoirs )
1 N‑COUNT A reservoir is a lake that is used for storing water before it is supplied to people.
2 N‑COUNT [adj N ] A reservoir of something is a large quantity of it that is available for use when needed. □ …the huge oil reservoir beneath the Kuwaiti desert. [Also + of ]
re|set /riː se t/ (resets , resetting ) The form reset is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle. VERB If you reset a machine or device, you adjust or set it, so that it is ready to work again or ready to perform a particular function. □ [V n] As soon as you arrive at your destination, step out of the aircraft and reset your wrist-watch.
re|set|tle /riːse t ə l/ (resettles , resettling , resettled ) VERB If people are resettled by a government or organization, or if people resettle , they move to a different place to live because they are no longer able or allowed to stay in the area where they used to live. □ [be V -ed] The refugees were put in camps in Italy before being resettled. □ [V ] In 1990, 200,000 Soviet Jews resettled on Israeli territory.
re|set|tle|ment /riːse t ə lmənt/ N‑UNCOUNT Resettlement is the process of moving people to a different place to live, because they are no longer allowed to stay in the area where they used to live. □ Only refugees are eligible for resettlement abroad. [Also + of ]
re|shape /riː ʃe I p/ (reshapes , reshaping , reshaped ) VERB To reshape something means to change its structure or organization. □ [V n] If they succeed on Europe, then they will have reshaped the political and economic map of the world. ● re|shap|ing N‑SING □ [+ of ] This thesis led to a radical reshaping of Labour policies.
re|shuf|fle (reshuffles , reshuffling , reshuffled ) The noun is pronounced /riː ʃʌf ə l/. The verb is pronounced /riː ʃʌ f ə l/. VERB When a political leader reshuffles the ministers in a government, he or she changes their jobs so that some of the ministers change their responsibilities. [mainly BRIT ] □ [V n] The prime minister told reporters this morning that he plans to reshuffle his entire cabinet. ● N‑COUNT [usu sing] Reshuffle is also a noun. □ He has carried out a partial cabinet reshuffle.
re|side /r I za I d/ (resides , residing , resided )
1 VERB If someone resides somewhere, they live there or are staying there. [FORMAL ] □ [V prep/adv] Margaret resides with her invalid mother in a London suburb.
2 VERB [no cont] If a quality resides in something, the thing has that quality. [FORMAL ] □ [V + in ] Happiness does not reside in strength or money.
resi|dence /re z I dəns/ (residences )
1 N‑COUNT A residence is a house where people live. [FORMAL ] □ …hotels and private residences.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Your place of residence is the place where you live. [FORMAL ] □ …differences among women based on age, place of residence and educational levels.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Someone's residence in a particular place is the fact that they live there or that they are officially allowed to live there. □ They had entered the country and had applied for permanent residence.
4 → see also hall of residence
5 PHRASE If someone is in residence in a particular place, they are living there. □ Windsor is open to visitors when the Royal Family is not in residence.
6 PHRASE An artist or writer in residence is one who teaches in an institution such as a university or theatre company. □ Wakoski is writer in residence at Michigan State University.
resi|den|cy /re z I dənsi/ (residencies )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Someone's residency in a particular place, especially in a country, is the fact that they live there or that they are officially allowed to live there. □ He applied for British residency.
2 N‑COUNT A doctor's residency is the period of specialized training in a hospital that he or she receives after leaving university. [AM ] □ He completed his pediatric residency at Stanford University Hospital.
resi|dent ◆◆◇ /re z I dənt/ (residents )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The residents of a house or area are the people who live there. □ …building low-cost homes for local residents.
2 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] Someone who is resident in a country or a town lives there. □ [+ in ] He moved to Belgium to live with his son, who had been resident in Brussels since 1997.
3 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A resident doctor or teacher lives in the place where he or she works. [BRIT ] □ The morning after your arrival, you meet with the resident physician.
4 N‑COUNT A resident or a resident doctor is a doctor who is receiving a period of specialized training in a hospital after leaving university. [AM ] SYNONYMS resident NOUN 1
inhabitant: …the inhabitants of Glasgow.
citizen: …American citizens.
native: Dr Aubin is a native of St Blaise.
householder: Millions of householders are eligible to claim council tax benefit.
resi|den|tial /re z I de nʃ ə l/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A residential area contains houses rather than offices or factories. □ …a smart residential area.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A residential institution is one where people live while they are studying there or being cared for there. □ Training involves a two-year residential course. □ …a residential home for children with disabilities.
re si|dents' as|so|cia|tion (residents' associations ) N‑COUNT A residents' association is an organization of people who live in a particular area. Residents' associations have meetings and take action to make the area more pleasant to live in.
re|sid|ual /r I z I dʒuəl/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Residual is used to describe what remains of something when most of it has gone. □ …residual radiation from nuclear weapons testing.
resi|due /re z I djuː, [AM ] -duː/ (residues ) N‑COUNT A residue of something is a small amount that remains after most of it has gone. □ Always using the same shampoo means that a residue can build up on the hair.
re|sign ◆◇◇ /r I za I n/ (resigns , resigning , resigned )
1 VERB If you resign from a job or position, you formally announce that you are leaving it. □ [V ] A hospital administrator has resigned over claims he lied to get the job. □ [V n] Mr Robb resigned his position last month.
2 VERB If you resign yourself to an unpleasant situation or fact, you accept it because you realize that you cannot change it. □ [V pron-refl + to ] Pat and I resigned ourselves to yet another summer without a boat.
3 → see also resigned
res|ig|na|tion ◆◇◇ /re z I gne I ʃ ə n/ (resignations )
1 N‑VAR [usu with poss] Your resignation is a formal statement of your intention to leave a job or position. □ Mr Morgan has offered his resignation and it has been accepted. □ …his letter of resignation.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Resignation is the acceptance of an unpleasant situation or fact because you realize that you cannot change it. □ He sighed with profound resignation.
re|signed /r I za I nd/ ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are resigned to an unpleasant situation or fact, you accept it without complaining because you realize that you cannot change it. □ [+ to ] He is resigned to the noise and mess.
re|sili|ent /r I z I liənt/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] Something that is resilient is strong and not easily damaged by being hit, stretched, or squeezed. □ …an armchair of some resilient plastic material. ● re|sili|ence N‑UNCOUNT □ Do your muscles have the strength and resilience that they should have?
2 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] People and things that are resilient are able to recover easily and quickly from unpleasant or damaging events. □ When the U.S. stock market collapsed in October 1987, the Japanese stock market was the most resilient. ● re|sili|ence N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the resilience of human beings to fight after they've been attacked.
res|in /re z I n/ (resins )
1 N‑VAR Resin is a sticky substance that is produced by some trees. □ The resin from which the oil is extracted comes from a small, tough tree.
2 N‑VAR Resin is a substance that is produced chemically and used to make plastics.
res|in|ous /re z I nəs/ ADJ Something that is resinous is like resin or contains resin. □ Propolis is a hard resinous substance made by bees from the juices of plants.
re|sist ◆◇◇ /r I z I st/ (resists , resisting , resisted )
1 VERB If you resist something such as a change, you refuse to accept it and try to prevent it. □ [V n/v-ing] The Chancellor warned employers to resist demands for high pay increases. □ [V n] They resisted our attempts to modernize the distribution of books.
2 VERB If you resist someone or resist an attack by them, you fight back against them. □ [V n] The man was shot outside his house as he tried to resist arrest. □ [V ] When she had attempted to cut his nails he resisted.
3 VERB [oft with neg] If you resist doing something, or resist the temptation to do it, you stop yourself from doing it although you would like to do it. □ [V n] Students should resist the temptation to focus on exams alone. [Also V v-ing]
4 VERB If someone or something resists damage of some kind, they are not damaged. □ [V n] …bodies trained and toughened to resist the cold.
re|sist|ance ◆◇◇ /r I z I stəns/ (resistances )
1 N‑UNCOUNT Resistance to something such as a change or a new idea is a refusal to accept it. □ The U.S. wants big cuts in European agricultural export subsidies, but this is meeting resistance. [Also + to ]
2 N‑UNCOUNT Resistance to an attack consists of fighting back against the people who have attacked you. □ The troops are encountering stiff resistance. [Also + to ]
3 N‑UNCOUNT The resistance of your body to germs or diseases is its power to remain unharmed or unaffected by them. □ [+ to ] This disease is surprisingly difficult to catch as most people have a natural resistance to it.
4 N‑UNCOUNT Wind or air resistance is a force which slows down a moving object or vehicle. □ The design of the bicycle has managed to reduce the effects of wind resistance and drag.
5 N‑VAR In electrical engineering or physics, resistance is the ability of a substance or an electrical circuit to stop the flow of an electrical current through it. □ …materials that lose all their electrical resistance.
6 N‑SING In a country which is occupied by the army of another country, or which has a very harsh and strict government, the resistance is an organized group of people who are involved in illegal activities against the people in power. □ They managed to escape after being arrested by the resistance.
7 PHRASE If you take the line of least resistance in a situation, you do what is easiest, even though you think that it may not be the right thing to do. In American English, you usually talk about the path of least resistance . □ They would rather take the line of least resistance than become involved in arguments. SYNONYMS resistance NOUN 1
hostility: There is hostility among traditionalists to this method of teaching history.
opposition: Much of the opposition to this plan has come from the media.
aversion: Many people have a natural and emotional aversion to insects.
re|sist|ant /r I z I stənt/
1 ADJ Someone who is resistant to something is opposed to it and wants to prevent it. □ [+ to ] Some people are very resistant to the idea of exercise.
2 ADJ If something is resistant to a particular thing, it is not harmed by it. □ [+ to ] …how to improve plants to make them more resistant to disease.
-resistant /-r I z I stənt/ COMB -resistant is added to nouns to form adjectives that describe something as not being harmed or affected by the thing mentioned. □ Children's suncare products are normally water-resistant.
re|sis|tor /r I z I stə r / (resistors ) N‑COUNT A resistor is a device which is designed to increase the ability of an electric circuit to stop the flow of an electric current through it. [TECHNICAL ]
re|sit (resits , resitting , resat ) The verb is pronounced /riː s I t/. The noun is pronounced /riː s I t/. VERB If someone resits a test or examination, they take it again, usually because they failed the first time. [BRIT ] □ [V n] This year, Jim is resitting the exams he failed. □ [V ] If they fail, they can often resit the next year. ● N‑COUNT Resit is also a noun. □ He failed his First Year exams and didn't bother about the resits. [in AM, use retake ]
re|skill /ri ːsk I l/ (reskills , reskilling , reskilled ) VERB If you reskill , or if someone reskills you, you learn new skills, so that you can do a different job or do your old job in a different way. [BUSINESS ] □ [V n] We needed to reskill our workforce to cope with massive technological change. □ [V ] You must be willing to reskill. ● re|skill|ing N‑UNCOUNT □ Everyone knows that lifelong learning and reskilling are important.
re|sold /riː soʊ ld/ Resold is the past tense and past participle of resell .
reso|lute /re zəluːt/ ADJ If you describe someone as resolute , you approve of them because they are very determined not to change their mind or not to give up a course of action. [FORMAL ] □ Voters perceive him as a decisive and resolute international leader. ● reso|lute|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ He resolutely refused to speak English unless forced to. □ The United States remains resolutely opposed to this.
reso|lu|tion ◆◆◇ /re zəluː ʃ ə n/ (resolutions )
1 N‑COUNT A resolution is a formal decision taken at a meeting by means of a vote. □ He replied that the U.N. had passed two major resolutions calling for a complete withdrawal.
2 N‑COUNT If you make a resolution , you decide to try very hard to do something. □ They made a resolution to lose all the weight gained during the Christmas period.
3 → see also New Year's resolution
4 N‑UNCOUNT Resolution is determination to do something or not do something. □ 'I think I'll try a hypnotist,' I said with sudden resolution.
5 N‑SING The resolution of a problem or difficulty is the final solving of it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ to/of ] …the successful resolution of a dispute.
6 N‑UNCOUNT The resolution of an image is how clear the image is. [TECHNICAL ] □ Now this machine gives us such high resolution that we can see very small specks of calcium. SYNONYMS resolution NOUN 1
decision: The moment of decision cannot be delayed.
ruling: Goodwin tried to have the court ruling overturned.
judgment: The industry was awaiting a judgment from the European Court.
decree: He issued a decree ordering all unofficial armed groups in the country to disband.
re|solve ◆◇◇ /r I zɒ lv/ (resolves , resolving , resolved )
1 VERB To resolve a problem, argument, or difficulty means to find a solution to it. [FORMAL ] □ [V n] We must find a way to resolve these problems before it's too late.
2 VERB If you resolve to do something, you make a firm decision to do it. [FORMAL ] □ [V to-inf] She resolved to report the matter to the hospital's nursing manager. □ [V that] She resolved that, if her sister forgot this promise, she would remind her.
3 N‑VAR [oft N to-inf] Resolve is determination to do what you have decided to do. [FORMAL ] □ This will strengthen the American public's resolve to go to war. SYNONYMS resolve VERB
1
work out: People involved in it think it's a nightmare, but I'm sure it will work itself out.
solve: Their domestic reforms did nothing to solve the problem of unemployment.
clear up: During dinner the confusion was cleared up: they had mistaken me for Kenny.
2
decide: She decided to do a secretarial course.
determine: The final wording had not yet been determined.
settle: They agreed to try to settle their dispute by negotiation.
make up your mind: Once he made up his mind to do something, there was no stopping him.
re|solved /r I zɒ lvd/ ADJ If you are resolved to do something, you are determined to do it. [FORMAL ] □ Barnes was resolved to moving on when his contract expired.
reso|nance /re zənəns/ (resonances )
1 N‑VAR If something has a resonance for someone, it has a special meaning or is particularly important to them. □ [+ for ] The ideas of order, security, family, religion and country had the same resonance for them as for Michael.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If a sound has resonance , it is deep, clear, and strong. □ His voice had lost its resonance; it was tense and strained.
reso|nant /re zənənt/
1 ADJ A sound that is resonant is deep and strong. □ His voice sounded oddly resonant in the empty room.
2 ADJ Something that is resonant has a special meaning or is particularly important to people. [LITERARY ] □ [+ with ] It is a country resonant with cinematic potential, from its architecture to its landscape.
reso|nate /re zəne I t/ (resonates , resonating , resonated )
1 VERB If something resonates , it vibrates and produces a deep, strong sound. □ [V ] The bass guitar began to thump so loudly that it resonated in my head.
2 VERB You say that something resonates when it has a special meaning or when it is particularly important to someone. □ [V + with ] London is confident and alive, resonating with all the qualities of a civilised city.
re|sort ◆◇◇ /r I zɔː r t/ (resorts , resorting , resorted )
1 VERB If you resort to a course of action that you do not really approve of, you adopt it because you cannot see any other way of achieving what you want. □ [V + to ] When all else failed, he resorted to violence.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you achieve something without resort to a particular course of action, you succeed without carrying out that action. To have resort to a particular course of action means to have to do that action in order to achieve something. □ [+ to ] Congress must ensure that all peaceful options are exhausted before resort to war.
3 N‑COUNT A resort is a place where a lot of people spend their holidays. □ …the ski resorts.
4 PHRASE If you do something as a last resort , you do it because you can find no other way of getting out of a difficult situation or of solving a problem. □ Nuclear weapons should be used only as a last resort.
5 PHRASE You use in the last resort when stating the most basic or important fact that will still be true in a situation whatever else happens. □ They would in the last resort support their friends whatever they did. COLLOCATIONS resort NOUN 3
noun + resort : golf, holiday, seaside, tourist
adjective + resort : all-inclusive, coastal, five-star, popular
re|sound /r I zaʊ nd/ (resounds , resounding , resounded )
1 VERB When a noise resounds , it is heard very loudly and clearly. [LITERARY ] □ [V prep] A roar of approval resounded through the Ukrainian parliament.
2 VERB If a place resounds with or to particular noises, it is filled with them. [LITERARY ] □ [V + with ] The whole place resounded with music. □ [V + to ] The mauve and meadow-green walls resound to reggae music.
re|sound|ing /r I zaʊ nd I ŋ/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A resounding sound is loud and clear. □ There was a resounding slap as Andrew struck him violently across the face.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] You can refer to a very great success as a resounding success. [EMPHASIS ] □ The good weather helped to make the occasion a resounding success.
re|source ◆◆◇ /r I zɔː r s, [AM ] riː sɔːrs/ (resources )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] The resources of an organization or person are the materials, money, and other things that they have and can use in order to function properly. □ Some families don't have the resources to feed themselves properly.
2 N‑COUNT [usu pl] A country's resources are the things that it has and can use to increase its wealth, such as coal, oil, or land. □ …resources like coal, tungsten, oil and copper. COLLOCATIONS resource NOUN
1
noun + resource : cash; police
adjective + resource : educational, financial, online; limited, precious, valuable
verb + resource : allocate, devote, divert, provide; lack, stretch
2
noun + resource : energy, gas, mineral, oil
adjective + resource : natural, renewable; dwindling, finite, scarce
verb + resource : use, waste; conserve SYNONYMS resource NOUN 1
supply: The brain requires a constant supply of oxygen.
materials: We have plenty of raw materials.
fund: He is possessed of an extraordinary fund of energy.
re|sourced /r I zɔː r st, [AM ] riː sɔːrst/ ADJ [usu adv ADJ ] If an organization is resourced , it has all the things, such as money and materials, that it needs to function properly. [BRIT ] □ The school is very well resourced–we have a language laboratory and use computers.
re|source|ful /r I zɔː r sfʊl/ ADJ Someone who is resourceful is good at finding ways of dealing with problems. □ He was amazingly inventive and resourceful, and played a major role in my career. ● re|source|ful|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ Because of his adventures, he is a person of far greater experience and resourcefulness.
re|spect ◆◆◇ /r I spe kt/ (respects , respecting , respected )
1 VERB If you respect someone, you have a good opinion of their character or ideas. □ [V n] I want him to respect me as a career woman.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you have respect for someone, you have a good opinion of them. □ [+ for ] I have tremendous respect for Dean.
3 → see also self-respect
4 VERB If you respect someone's wishes, rights, or customs, you avoid doing things that they would dislike or regard as wrong. □ [V n] Finally, trying to respect her wishes, I said I'd leave.
5 N‑UNCOUNT If you show respect for someone's wishes, rights, or customs, you avoid doing anything they would dislike or regard as wrong. □ [+ for ] They will campaign for the return of traditional lands and respect for aboriginal rights and customs.
6 VERB If you respect a law or moral principle, you agree not to break it. □ [V n] It is about time tour operators respected the law and their own code of conduct. ● N‑UNCOUNT Respect is also a noun. □ [+ for ] …respect for the law and the rejection of the use of violence.
7 PHRASE You can say with respect when you are politely disagreeing with someone or criticizing them. [POLITENESS ] □ With respect, I hardly think that's the point.
8 PHRASE If you pay your respects to someone, you go to see them or speak to them. You usually do this to be polite, and not necessarily because you want to do it. [FORMAL ] □ Carl had asked him to visit the hospital and to pay his respects to Francis.
9 PHRASE If you pay your last respects to someone who has just died, you show your respect or affection for them by coming to see their body or their grave. □ The son had nothing to do with arranging the funeral, but came along to pay his last respects.
10 PHRASE You use expressions like in this respect and in many respects to indicate that what you are saying applies to the feature you have just mentioned or to many features of something. □ The children are not unintelligent–in fact, they seem quite normal in this respect.
11 PHRASE You use with respect to to say what something relates to. In British English, you can also say in respect of . [FORMAL ] □ Parents often have little choice with respect to the way their child is medically treated.
12 → see also respected COLLOCATIONS respect NOUN
2
adjective + respect : mutual; grudging, healthy, utmost
verb + respect : command, deserve, earn, gain; lose
5
verb + respect : promote, show, teach VERB
1
respect + adverb : greatly, highly
4
respect + noun : privacy, right, view, wish
6
respect + noun : law SYNONYMS respect VERB 1
honour: Those right-wing people who most honour their monarch see no reason for any apology.
admire: He admired the way she had coped with life.
esteem: I greatly esteem your message in the midst of our hard struggle.
look up to: You're a popular girl, Grace, and a lot of the younger ones look up to you. NOUN 2
regard: I have a very high regard for him and what he has achieved.
esteem: Their public esteem has never been lower.
admiration: I have always had the greatest admiration for him.
re|spect|able /r I spe ktəb ə l/
1 ADJ Someone or something that is respectable is approved of by society and considered to be morally correct. □ He came from a perfectly respectable middle-class family. ● re|spect|ably /r I spe ktəbli/ ADV □ She's respectably dressed in jeans and sweatshirt. ● re|spect|abil|ity /r I spe ktəb I l I ti/ N‑UNCOUNT □ This theory finally achieved respectability in the 20th century.
2 ADJ You can say that something is respectable when you mean that it is good enough or acceptable. □ …investments that offer respectable rates of return.
re|spect|ed /r I spe kt I d/ ADJ [oft adv ADJ ] Someone or something that is respected is admired and considered important by many people. □ [+ for ] He is highly respected for his novels and plays.
re|spect|er /r I spe ktə r / (respecters )
1 N‑COUNT If you say that someone is a respecter of something such as a belief or idea, you mean that they behave in a way which shows that they have a high opinion of it. □ [+ of ] Ford was a respecter of proprieties and liked to see things done properly.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone or something is no respecter of a rule or tradition, you mean that the rule or tradition is not important to them. □ Accidents and sudden illnesses are no respecters of age.
re|spect|ful /r I spe ktfʊl/ ADJ If you are respectful , you show respect for someone. □ The children in our family are always respectful to their elders. ● re|spect|ful|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ 'You are an artist,' she said respectfully.
re|spec|tive /r I spe kt I v/ ADJ [ADJ n] Respective means relating or belonging separately to the individual people you have just mentioned. □ Steve and I were at very different stages in our respective careers.
re|spec|tive|ly /r I spe kt I vli/ ADV Respectively means in the same order as the items that you have just mentioned. □ Their sons, Ben and Jonathan, were three and six respectively.
res|pi|ra|tion /re sp I re I ʃ ə n/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Your respiration is your breathing. [MEDICAL ] □ His respiration grew fainter throughout the day.
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