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

Related Phrases

reunion tourphrase
a series of concerts by a band reuniting after a break
reunion of mindsphrase
a coming together of ideas or thoughts

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'
prefix
+
union
from Latin *unio*, meaning 'oneness' or 'unity'
root
English Dictionary