English · Word Candidate

regain

/ɹiːˈɡeɪn/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: regains · regaining · regained

Sense 1

Meaning · English

To get back; to recover possession of.

Verb

Examples

DUKAT: I blame no one but myself. I was indiscreet. I compromised myself and have been punished accordingly. If someone under my command had behaved so outrageously, I would do the same thing to him. Besides, I assure you, this is only a temporary setback. Everything I have lost, I will regain. It's

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The act or process of regaining something.

Noun

Examples

Patients who plateau after weight loss are more likely to blame the regain on something that they are responsible for – the wrong course of action they took or a specic oversight that they kept repeating–rather than who they are.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

The amount of width a woven cloth grows by when the fibers swell, used to determine the width of the reed to use in weaving.

Noun

Examples

The number of ends per inch may vary to some slight extent at different places in the width of the cloth and in different pieces woven to the same particulars , but if the regain is correctly estimated , the calculated reed to be used will be the same, unless a special reed has been used in weaving

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “regain” mean?

To get back; to recover possession of.

Is “regain” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.