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Glite Dictionary
to repurpose

to repurpose

19 4.2
To use something for a new purpose instead of its original one
  • verb
  • /ˌriːˈpɜːrpəs/
translation icon : reconvertir
  • She plans to repurpose the wooden pallets into furniture for her garden.
  • repurposed space

So try and pick one hub platform and then just repurpose content from there.

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Examples

  • The community decided to repurpose the old factory as a center for art and culture.

  • And we could therefore repurpose some of our gas distribution network for hydrogen.

  • I could maybe repurpose a part from a TV, but...

    Fly Me to the Moon (2024)

  • And we'll probably need a bit of time to repurpose all this.

    Destination Love (2022)

  • Maybe I can repurpose it and create a connection between, uh, well, all of us.

    Eternals (2021)

  • So again, great way to repurpose on Instagram.

    Sunny Lenarduzzi

  • So try and pick one hub platform and then just repurpose content from there.

    Sunny Lenarduzzi

  • I hope the space can be repurposed and put to an economically productive use.

    Blog text (7)

  • Old card catalogs can easily be repurposed for game and accessory storage.

    Academic text (2014)

  • Their answer was StockBox Grocers, a company that repurposes old shipping containers as small grocery stores.

    Blog text (2)

Synonyms

to make over
vsto repurpose
10 5.1

Change something old so it can be used in a new way

changes an item's purpose rather than focusing on altering its form
to refashion
vsto repurpose
3 4.9

To change something into a new or different form

changes an item's purpose instead of only changing its physical form
to reappropriate
vsto repurpose
1 8.2

To take back something and give it a new meaning or use

changes an item's use without the sense of taking it back or reclaiming
to upcycle
vsto repurpose
1 6.7

Change old things people would throw away into new, more useful things

changes an item's purpose without requiring it to be discarded or upgraded
to reutilize
vsto repurpose
  • US
5.1

To use something again after fixing it or for a new purpose

changes an item's purpose to a different use rather than just using it again

How Different

to reengineer
  • Specialized
3 5.5
to retool
  • Specialized
1 6.7
to repurpose
19 4.2
to adapt
178 3.2
to modify
268 3.2
to adjust
317 2.7

Surface Forms

repurpose infinitive
repurposed past
repurposed past participle
repurposing present participle
repurposes third person singular

Morphology

repurpose = purpose (semi-transparent) = re + purpose

The idea of giving something a new purpose is fairly clear from 're-' and 'purpose', but the exact verb meaning 'use for a different purpose' is not a completely regular everyday derivation from the noun alone.

Etymology

Repurpose comes from the prefix re- meaning 'again' and the word purpose meaning 'use'. So to repurpose something is to give it a new use or to use it for a different job than it had before.