reversion

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /rɪˈvɝʒən/ UK /rɪˈvɜːʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a return to a former state, type, or owner

The lease provided for reversion of the land to its original owner.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a return to a former state,... return regression relapserevertingatavism throwback

Opposites

progression advancement

Word family

Forms reversionary

Derived forms reversionary

Related forms revert reverse reversal convert

Etymology

From Old French reversion, from Latin reversio ('a turning back'), from reversus, past participle of revertere ('to turn back'), from re- ('back') + vertere ('to turn').

reversio Latin vertere Latin *wert- Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# reversion

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /rɪˈvɝʒən/
**IPA (UK):** /rɪˈvɜːʃən/

## Meanings
1. a return to a former state, type, or owner

## Examples
- The lease provided for reversion of the land to its original owner.

## Synonyms
- return
- regression
- relapse
- reverting
- atavism
- throwback

## Antonyms
- progression
- advancement

## Derived Forms
- reversionary

## Related Forms
- revert
- reverse
- reversal
- convert

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: reversio
- Root: vertere
- Root: *wert-

## Etymology
From Old French reversion, from Latin reversio ('a turning back'), from reversus, past participle of revertere ('to turn back'), from re- ('back') + vertere ('to turn').

## AI Etymology
Reversion comes from Old French reversion, from Latin reversio ('a turning back'), from reversus, past participle of revertere ('to turn back'), from re- ('back') + vertere ('to turn'). The historical chain includes Latin reversio, Latin vertere, and Proto-Indo-European *wert-. Older glosses in the chain include "a turning back", "to turn back", "back", and "to turn", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, reversion is best read as compound and borrowing, yielding an English noun shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as a noun, with the sense "a return to a former state, type, or owner". English derivatives include reversionary; related forms include revert, reverse, reversal, and convert. The result is an English noun whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown