reversal
noun · adjective
Simple meaning
A major change in attitude or principle or point of view.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
rihvursuhlSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɹɪˈvɝsəl
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
A major change in attitude or principle or point of view
A change from one state to the opposite state
“There was a reversal of autonomic function.”
A change in fortune; a change from being successful to having problems.
The state of being reversed.
The act of reversing the order or place of
An instance of reversing.
adjective
Intended to reverse; implying reversal.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: A change from one state to the opposite state
Used this way, reversal is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“There was a reversal of autonomic function.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “reversal of …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: reversal of …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use reversal
- “There was a reversal of autonomic function.”noun
- “The reversal of the image in the lens.”noun
Share your sentence
Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Word family
Words built from the same root.
Capable of reversing or being reversed.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
Change to the contrary.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: major change in attitude or principle
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “reversal” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.