reanalyze

Meanings

verbreanalyze (third-person singular simple present reanalyzes, present participle reanalyzing, simple past and past participle reanalyzed)

present singular third person reanalyzes · participle present reanalyzing · participle past reanalyzed · past reanalyzed · alternative reanalyse · alternative re-analyze · alternative re-analyse

To analyze again.
human sciencesTo analyze a lexeme with a different structure from its original, often by misunderstanding.
"SOS" has, in contemporary usage, been reanalyzed to stand for "save our souls".
1 more example
Thus hamburger (whose true etymology is 'city of Hamburg' + er 'someone from') has been reanalyzed as ham + burger 'burger made with ham.'
2006, Shaligram Shukla, Jeff Connor-Linton, “Language change”, in Ralph Fasold, Jeff Connor-Linton, editors, An Introduction to Language and Linguistics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 296

Cite this entry

APA

reanalyze. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reanalyze

MLA

“reanalyze.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reanalyze. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reanalyze,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reanalyze.