A person who returns from the dead or after a long absence; a ghost or ghost-like figure.
From French 'revenant,' meaning 'one who returns,' derived from Latin 'revenire' (re- 'again' + venire 'to come'). The term entered English in the 18th century, primarily used in Gothic and supernatural literature to describe the undead or those returned from the grave.
Revenant is one of those wonderfully atmospheric words that creates mood just by existing—it's been used in ghost stories for centuries, and the 2015 film of the same name deliberately chose it not for its supernatural meaning but to capture the sense of a man 'returning' from the wilderness, showing how old words can be revived with new power.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.