What does anastasis mean?
Anastasis is a noun borrowed directly from ancient Greek, meaning a rising up, resurrection, or return to life. Its most prominent use is in Christian theology, where it refers to the resurrection of Christ and, more generally, to the raising of the dead; the term is frequently capitalized in this context and gives its name to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, historically known as the Anastasis. Beyond religion, anastasis has been adopted in medical and biological writing to describe the reactivation of dormant processes, notably the revival of quiescent tumour cells that later resume growth. The word carries a solemn, elevated connotation and belongs primarily to formal, scholarly, or liturgical registers rather than casual speech. Its Greek roots — ana- ('up' or 'again') combined with stasis ('a standing') — literally convey the image of standing up again, making it a precise and evocative term for any return from death, dormancy, or inactivity.
nounA rising up, resurrection, or restoration to life; in theology, especially the resurrection of the dead or of Christ. In medical contexts, it can also denote the return or regrowth of a condition, such as the revival of dormant tumour cells.
- (Christianity) The resurrection of Christ, or the general resurrection of the dead.
- A rising up, revival, or return to life or activity in a broader sense.
- (Medicine) The reappearance or regrowth of a disease process, such as the reactivation of dormant tumour cells.
"The early Christian liturgy celebrated anastasis as the central mystery of faith."
"Orthodox Christians greet one another at Easter with hymns proclaiming the Anastasis."
"Researchers studying metastatic relapse describe the phenomenon of anastasis, in which cancer cells that had entered dormancy resume proliferation."
The English plural follows the Greek pattern, replacing the final -is with -es. It is rare outside scholarly or medical writing, as the singular usually suffices even for repeated occurrences.
"The text examines various accounts of anastases across different traditions."
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem is literally called 'the Anastasis' — Greek for resurrection — because it was built on the site believed to be where Christ rose from the dead.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anastasis
Anastasis comes directly from ancient Greek ἀνάστασις (anástasis), formed from the prefix ana- meaning 'up' or 'again' and stasis meaning 'a standing', so the compound literally means 'a standing up' or 'rising again'. It entered English through ecclesiastical and scholarly Latin usage, becoming established in religious contexts describing the resurrection of Christ and the general resurrection of the dead. It shares the same Greek root with words such as ecstasy and homeostasis, which likewise derive from histanai ('to cause to stand').
Usage notes
Anastasis is a learned borrowing from Greek and appears chiefly in theological, liturgical, and scholarly writing rather than everyday conversation. It is often capitalized ('the Anastasis') when referring specifically to Christ's resurrection or to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which is traditionally known as the Anastasis. In medical literature it carries a technical sense related to the reversal of cellular quiescence. The plural is 'anastases'.
Don't confuse with
Ecstasy derives from the same Greek root 'histemi' but means overwhelming emotion or rapture, whereas anastasis specifically means a rising up or resurrection.
Stasis means a state of standing still or stagnation, while anastasis denotes the opposite — a rising up or coming back to life.