Renaissance

noun (often capitalised when denoting the historical period; also used attributively/adjectivally, as in "Renaissance art")

/ˌrɛnəˈsɑːns/

A period of cultural and intellectual rebirth or revival, marked by renewed interest in art, literature, science, and learning.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The sweeping investment in regional languages, indigenous crafts and folk performance under the new cultural policy seeks nothing less than a renaissance of India's vernacular heritage, reversing decades of neglect in which globalised tastes had eclipsed local traditions.

Synonyms

revivalrebirthreawakeningresurgencerenewalregeneration

Antonyms

declinedecaystagnationdark age

🌱 Word Family

renaissance (n/adj), renascence (n), renascent (adj), nascent (adj)

🔡 Root

French renaissance = rebirth; re- = again + naissance = birth, from Latin nasci = to be born

📜 Etymology

From French renaissance, meaning "rebirth," derived from re- ("again") + naissance ("birth"), ultimately from Latin nasci ("to be born"); the term "Indian Renaissance" describes the 19th-century wave of social and intellectual reform in India.

🧠 Memory Hook

Break it as re- (again) + naissance (birth, as in "natal", "nascent", "native"): a Renaissance is a culture being BORN AGAIN.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Mains 2019 · GS1 · 10 marks — Modern History

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Renaissance” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Social & Religious Reform Movements

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