What does readmit mean?
Readmit means to admit someone again after they have previously been excluded, dismissed, discharged, or temporarily removed. The word is especially common in institutional settings such as schools, universities, hospitals, prisons, and professional organizations. For example, a patient may be readmitted to hospital, while a student may be readmitted after an appeal or disciplinary decision. The term conveys a formal return that often depends on approval, eligibility, or the successful completion of an appeal. Readmit differs from admit because it explicitly refers to a second act of acceptance or entry, whereas admit can describe either an initial admission or a repeated one. In general use, the verb can suggest restoring previous status, though it does not necessarily imply that every original right or privilege is restored.
verbTo admit again, especially someone who was previously excluded, dismissed, or discharged. It can also mean allowing a person to return to a school, institution, hospital, or organization.
- To admit again, especially a person who was previously excluded, dismissed, or discharged from a school, hospital, organization, or place.
"The university readmitted the student after the appeal was successful."
"After completing treatment, she was readmitted to the hospital for follow-up care."
"The committee voted to readmit the former member following an independent review."
To be readmitted is to receive a second chance at entry, whether into a hospital, school, or another institution.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does readmit come from?
Readmit was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning "again," with admit, a word borrowed from Latin admittere, formed from ad- and mittere, "to send" or "to put." The resulting verb developed in the sense of admitting someone back into a school, institution, or other organization. Readmit ultimately shares its core linguistic root with admit, admission, admissible, and admittance.
Related word forms
How readmit is actually used
Readmit is formal and commonly used in institutional, legal, educational, and medical contexts. It is transitive and takes a person or thing as its object, as in "readmit a patient" or "readmit a student."
Easily confused with readmit
Admit means to allow someone or something to enter or become part of an institution, while readmit means to allow someone who was previously excluded or dismissed to return.