rientro

Rientro is an Italian noun that denotes the act or process of returning to a place, position, or condition after an absence. It is derived from the verb rientrare (to re-enter, to come back) and carries the sense of re-entry into a preexisting state or location. In everyday use, rientro emphasizes the movement back into something rather than the overall journey of going away and returning.

Common uses of the term include phrases such as rientro a casa, rientro al lavoro, or rientro dalle vacanze, referring to returning home, returning to work, or resuming routine after a holiday. It can also describe the act of re-entering a country, institution, or professional role, for example rientro in patria or rientro in servizio. In sports, rientro is used to denote a player's return to the field or court after an injury or absence, as in il rientro in campo.

In technical contexts, rientro is used for re-entry into an atmosphere: the rientro atmosferico describes the process by which a spacecraft or vehicle returns from space and re-enters the atmosphere. The term can be qualified as rientro controllato or rientro d’emergenza to indicate whether the re-entry is planned and managed or urgent.

Nuances distinguish rientro from the synonym ritorno. Rientro tends to imply a return to a specific place, role, or state after a period away, often with an element of re-entry into a system. Ritorno is broader and can refer to the act of coming back without emphasizing the re-entry aspect.