reversion

[ ri-vur-zhuhn, -shuhn ]
See synonyms for reversion on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of turning something the reverse way.

  2. the state of being so turned; reversal.

  1. the act of reverting; return to a former practice, belief, condition, etc.

  2. Biology.

    • reappearance of ancestral characters that have been absent in intervening generations.

    • return to an earlier or primitive type; atavism.

  3. Law.

    • the returning of an estate to the grantor or the grantor's heirs after the interest granted expires.

    • an estate which so returns.

    • the right of succeeding to an estate.

  4. Archaic. the remains, especially of food or drink after a meal.

Origin of reversion

1
1350–1400; Middle English <Latin reversiōn- (stem of reversiō) a turning back. See reverse, -ion

Other words from reversion

  • re·ver·sion·al·ly, adverb
  • non·re·ver·sion, noun

Words Nearby reversion

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use reversion in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for reversion

reversion

/ (rɪˈvɜːʃən) /


noun
  1. a return to or towards an earlier condition, practice, or belief; act of reverting

  2. the act of reversing or the state of being reversed; reversal

  1. biology

    • the return of individuals, organs, etc, to a more primitive condition or type

    • the reappearance of primitive characteristics in an individual or group

  2. property law

    • an interest in an estate that reverts to the grantor or his heirs at the end of a period, esp at the end of the life of a grantee

    • an estate so reverting

    • the right to succeed to such an estate

  3. the benefit payable on the death of a life-insurance policyholder

Derived forms of reversion

  • reversionally, adverb
  • reversionary or reversional, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012