The American HeritageĀ® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. Rebirth of the soul in another body.
n. A reappearance or revitalization in another form; a new embodiment: "The brownstone had already endured one reincarnation: In the 1940's, it was converted into eight studio apartmentsā ( Ben Lloyd).
n. A rebirth of a mental capacity, such as a soul, in a physical life form, such as a body
n. The idea of such a rebirth, a specific belief or doctrine on how such a rebirth occurs
n. A fresh embodiment
n. A new, considerably improved, version
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The act or state of being incarnated anew; a repeated incarnation; a new embodiment.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. embodiment in a new form (especially the reappearance or a person in another form)
n. a second or new birth
n. the Hindu or Buddhist doctrine that a person may be reborn successively into one of five classes of living beings (god or human or animal or hungry ghost or denizen of Hell) depending on the person's own actions
Word Usage
"I've had plenty of time to wrestle with the puzzles that a profound belief in reincarnation imply, and where the analogies are for people like myself who feel that you only get one life to live, but you might go through huge shifts within your life that somehow match "reincarnation"."