Definition

Noun 1. A return to a previous state, condition, or practice: The act or process of going back to an earlier form, system, or way of being. 2. (Biology) A reappearance of an ancestral or earlier characteristic: The return of a trait or characteristic that was present in a previous generation. 3. (Genetics) A return to a normal phenotype: A genetic mutation that reverses the effect of a previous mutation, restoring the original trait. 4. (Law) A future interest in property: The right to possess or own property in the future, which returns to the original grantor or their heirs after a specific event (e.g., the death of the current holder). 5. A turning backward or in the opposite direction: The act of reversing direction or orientation.

Examples of Usage

• General Return to a Former State:
  • The policy change was a reversion to outdated practices.
  • After the revolution, there was a reversion to a barter economy.
• Biology/Genetics:
  • The plant exhibited a reversion, producing flowers like its wild ancestor.
  • The second mutation caused a reversion to the normal wing shape.
• Law:
  • The land was granted for her lifetime, with a reversion to the donor's family upon her death.
  • He holds the property in fee simple, subject to a reversion.

Advanced Usage

• "Reversion to type": An idiom describing a return to the original or fundamental character, often after a period of change or deviation.
  • Despite his modern education, his reversion to type was evident in his traditional views.

Variants and Related Words

• Revert (verb): To return to a previous state, practice, or topic.
  • The garden will revert to wilderness if not maintained.
• Reversionary (adjective): Relating to or involving a reversion, especially in law.
  • He held a reversionary interest in the estate.

Synonyms

• Return: A coming or going back to a place or state.
• Regression: A return to a less developed or earlier state.
• Relapse: A deterioration after a period of improvement (often used in medical/behavioral contexts).
• Atavism: The reappearance of an ancestral characteristic (specific to biology).

Different Meanings

1. General Process: The most common meaning is a general return to a former condition.
2. Legal Term: A specific, technical term in property law for a future interest.
3. Scientific Term: A precise term in biology and genetics for the reappearance of an earlier form or trait.

Noun

1. a failure to maintain a higher state
2. returning to a former state
3. turning in the opposite direction
4. a reappearance of an earlier characteristic
5. (genetics) a return to a normal phenotype (usually resulting from a second mutation)
6. (law) an interest in an estate that reverts to the grantor (or his heirs) at the end of some period (e.g., the death of the grantee)