renewal

Pronunciation

• IPA: /rɪˈnjuːəl/, /rəˈnjuːəl/ (UK); /rɪˈnuːəl/, /rɪˈnjuːəl/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is from English renew + -al.^[2][3][4] It replaced earlier nouns such as renewance, renewing and renewment,^[2] and an early 15th-century noun renew.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The act of renewing or re-establishing something: 1603, in Henoch Clapham's exposition of the Song of Songs.^[2][4] Etymonline dates it to the 1680s.^[3]

Semantic evolution

Specific senses include extending a lease or licence (part of the 1603 sense),^[2] replacing or repairing something (1721),^[2] and, in the Church, spiritual renewal by the Holy Spirit, from John Wesley (1737), later used especially by charismatic Christians.^[2][5] Urban renewal, planned redevelopment of city areas, is from the mid-20th century;^[5] Etymonline dates it by 1965, in American English.^[3]

Timeline

• 1603 – renewing or re-establishing.^[2]
• 1721 – replacing or repairing.^[2]
• 1737 – spiritual renewal.^[2]
• 1795 – a renewed running of a horse race.^[2]
• mid 20th century – urban redevelopment.^[5][3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. The act of renewing something, or the state of being renewed; revival or restoration.
2. The extension of an agreement, subscription or licence.
3. The redevelopment of run-down urban areas.

Word family

• nonrenewal
• urban renewal

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
3. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
4. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b c Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press