rehabilitation
rehabilitation — noun
1. the treatment and support that helps a person get back to normal everyday life a
the treatment and support that helps a person get back to normal everyday life after a serious illness, an addiction, a major injury, or time spent in prison.
Hiro spent six months in rehabilitation after his knee surgery.
collocation: spend time in rehabilitation
The prison system offers drug rehabilitation programmes for first-time offenders.
collocation: rehabilitation programme
Léa's rehabilitation included daily physiotherapy and counselling sessions.
Ada's doctors said her rehabilitation after the stroke would take at least a year.
A good rehabilitation centre helps patients rebuild both strength and confidence.
- relapse
return to a previous bad condition or illness
文法句型
rehabilitation + of + person
undergo rehabilitation
rehabilitation programme/centre
用法筆記
Frequently appears in Noun + of + Person constructions (e.g. rehabilitation of patients) and as a pre-modifier in compound nouns (rehabilitation centre, rehabilitation programme, rehabilitation unit). Distinguish from sense 2: sense 1 uses human subjects; sense 2 uses places or physical objects.
常見錯誤
2. the work of repairing and improving a building, natural environment, or area of
the work of repairing and improving a building, natural environment, or area of land that has become damaged or neglected, so that it becomes usable and attractive again.
The rehabilitation of the old railway station turned it into a popular market.
pattern: rehabilitation of + place
Sari's architecture firm specialises in the rehabilitation of historic houses.
The rehabilitation of the polluted river took over a decade of work.
Anjali's team won an award for the rehabilitation of the old harbour area.
Pedro studied urban rehabilitation in college and now works for the city council.
- restoration
strongly suggests returning something to its original state, especially historic buildings
- renovation
focuses on updating and modernising; may not aim to recreate the original
- reclamation
usually about land, especially making damaged land usable again
- deterioration
the process of becoming worse
- neglect
failing to care for something, leading to damage
文法句型
rehabilitation + of + place/building/area
用法筆記
Typically describes large-scale, planned restoration projects. The subject is typically a building, site, or natural area. Distinguish from 'renovation': rehabilitation suggests returning something to a previous good state (often historic or environmental), while renovation focuses on modernising and updating.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The rehabilitation of the park cost a lot of money.' — This is actually correct but sounds overly formal; 'restoration' or 'renovation' are more common for parks.
3. the act or process of restoring a person's good name and social position after t
the act or process of restoring a person's good name and social position after they have been publicly criticised, disgraced, or thought of as bad for a long time.
Rachid's public rehabilitation began when the false accusations were dropped.
collocation: public rehabilitation
The historian wrote a book aimed at the rehabilitation of a misunderstood king.
pattern: rehabilitation of + person
After years of community work, Constanza achieved a quiet rehabilitation in her hometown.
The scandal ended his career, and no amount of image rehabilitation could save it.
Christopher's rehabilitation as a fair leader took years of honest decisions.
- vindication
stronger; implies the person was proven right or innocent
- reinstatement
focus on being returned to a previous position or role
- restoration
broader; can be used for reputation or for objects
- disgrace
the state of being seen as shameful or unacceptable
- defamation
the act of damaging someone's good reputation
文法句型
rehabilitation + of + person's reputation/character
undergo rehabilitation
用法筆記
Formal and often refers to public figures or historical figures. Frequently used with reputations, characters, or images — not personal friendships. Use 'restoration of reputation' in less formal contexts. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 3 is about social/moral judgment, not health or addiction.
常見錯誤
❌ 'The celebrity's rehabilitation was immediate after the scandal.' — Rehabilitation of reputation typically takes time and effort, not something that happens 'immediately'.