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reunion
/riˈjuːniən/
gathering after separation
They attended a high school reunion last weekend.
A gathering of former classmates to reconnect after graduation.
neutral
An instance of people coming together again after a period of separation.
The family reunion was held at their grandmother's house.
A gathering of relatives to celebrate together after time apart.
After years abroad, she planned a reunion with her childhood friends.
An event to bring together people who had not seen each other for a long time.
Often implies a joyful or nostalgic occasion, but not always. Can refer to any group reuniting, not just families.
Engineering
technical
In a technical or organizational context, the act of reuniting or restoring something to a previous state.
The software update caused a temporary split in the database, but the reunion process restored all records.
The procedure to merge or restore fragmented data into a cohesive whole.
Rare in technical contexts; more common in everyday language.
Collocations
family reuniona gathering of relativesclass reuniona gathering of former classmatesreunion dinnera special meal during a reunion, often for Lunar New Year
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Avoid redundancy
Do not say 'reunion meeting'—a reunion is inherently a meeting or gathering. Similarly, 'reunion event' is redundant.
Gold Rule
Use for planned gatherings
A reunion typically refers to a planned or intentional gathering, not a spontaneous meeting. For example, 'We bumped into old friends at the café' is not a reunion.
Word Origin
From Middle French *reunion* (14th century), from Late Latin *reunio*, from Latin *re-* (again) + *unio* (a unity, from *unus* meaning 'one'). The sense of a social gathering emerged in the 17th century.
Usage Notes
Commonly used for both informal and formal events. In some cultures, like Chinese, 'reunion dinner' (团圆饭) is a significant tradition during festivals. The word does not imply the length of separation—it could be days or decades.
Word Breakdown
re-
prefix meaning 'again'
prefixunion
from Latin *unio*, meaning 'oneness' or 'unity'
rootEnglish Dictionary