To regain something means to get it back after losing it. When you regain your balance after stumbling, you steady yourself again. When a team regains the lead in a game, they pull ahead after falling behind. When someone recovers from an illness, they regain their strength and energy.

You can regain physical things, like when you finally regain a toy your sibling borrowed. But the word often describes getting back things you can't hold: confidence, trust, focus, or freedom.

Athletes work hard to regain form after an injury. Students regain their concentration after a distraction. A country might regain independence after being controlled by another nation. Sometimes regaining something takes effort and time. A musician who hasn't practiced in months will need to work to regain their skill. Other times it happens quickly, like when you regain your footing after a slip.

Notice that you can only regain things you once had. You can't regain something that was never yours in the first place.