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to redefine

to redefine

66 4.9
To give something a new meaning that changes how people see it
  • verb
  • /ˌriːdɪˈfaɪn/
translation icon : redefinir
  • Science is after all, the field which challenges us to redefine the conventional wisdom of our predecessors.
  • redefine the term
  • redefine the meaning
  • redefine the concept

Can African women redefine freedom for the benefit of all?

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Examples

  • You can redefine your product on-screen with my software.

  • A string of huge hits that redefined what video games could be.

  • And what if you redefine what we call failure?

  • We need to redefine winning.

  • We need to fundamentally redefine who it is that experts are.

  • West Side Story redefined the American musical.

  • Multiculturalism therefore began as a program to redefine an American national identity.

    Academic text (2013)
  • Reconstruction forced residents to redefine their roles within their households and communities.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Public pressure is mounting, however, to redefine America's relationship with Japan primarily along economic lines.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The new research aims to redefine the boundaries of artificial intelligence.

Synonyms

to change
vsto redefine
1.0

To make something or someone different

specifically transforms the accepted meaning rather than producing general alteration
to reinvent
vsto redefine
102 4.3

Make a thing or person look new and work better

focuses on altering the established meaning rather than on renewal or image
to rework
vsto redefine
30 4.0

To change something again to make it better

aims to transform the accepted meaning rather than only revising the work
to reframe
vsto redefine
14 4.8

Change the way you think about something to see it in a better way

changes the accepted meaning itself rather than only shifting perspective
to reinterpret
vsto redefine
10 5.8

To explain something again in a different way to give it a new meaning

alters the underlying or official meaning rather than only offering a view
to reimagine
vsto redefine
9 4.7

Think of something in a new way

concerns changing the fundamental meaning rather than inventing a new form
to recast
vsto redefine
9 5.6

Present an idea in a different form or style

seeks to change the core meaning rather than only altering presentation
to reformulate
vsto redefine
8 6.1

Express ideas in a new or better way

focuses on altering the core meaning rather than only improving expression
to reconceptualize
vsto redefine
  • Formal
1 8.1

To think about something in a new way

changes the established sense or core meaning rather than only thinking differently
to recontextualize
vsto redefine
  • Jargon
1 8.3

Putting something in a new setting changes its meaning

changes the core meaning itself rather than only moving its context
to refigure
vsto redefine
1 7.0

To change an idea, story, or image to fit a new setting

targets the core understanding rather than only altering how it looks
to respecify
vsto redefine
  • Specialized
7.2

To state something again more clearly

changes the core or accepted meaning rather than only clarifying wording
to redescribe
vsto redefine
4.4

To describe something again in a different way to make it clearer

aims to transform the accepted meaning rather than merely restating it
to transvalue
vsto redefine
  • Jargon
9.9

To change what something means or how people see its worth

revises the ordinary or common meaning rather than applying a specific value frame

Antonyms

931 3.1

Keep an activity, quality, or schedule going over time

496 3.4

To keep people and things safe from harm or change

How Thorough

to transform
523 3.4
to redefine
66 4.9
to recast
9 5.6
to reframe
14 4.8

Surface Forms

redefine infinitive
redefined past
redefined past participle
redefining present participle
redefines third person singular

Morphology

redefine = define (transparent) = re + define

The meaning is a straightforward application of 're-' to 'define', meaning to define again or differently.

Etymology

The word redefine is made of re- 'again' and define, which comes from a root meaning 'limit' or 'end' and is the same root behind final and finish. So to redefine something is to 'give its meaning again' or to change the 'limits' of what it means.