Meanings
present singular third person reappropriates · participle present reappropriating · participle past reappropriated · past reappropriated
- human sciencesTo reclaim a term that was previously used to disparage the reclaimers' own social group.
Once a term of homophobic abuse, the term “queer” has been reappropriated as a marker for some gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT), and other marginalized sexual identities.
1 more example
The term 'People of the Book' has been reappropriated as a means of self-identification by Jews and by the members of certain Christian denominations.
2023 August 3, Wikipedia contributors, “People of the Book”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo appropriate again.
verbTo reclaim a term that was previously used to disparage the reclaimers' own social group.
Origin
- Proto-Italic*wre-
- Latinre-
- Old Frenchre-
- Middle Englishre-
- Englishre-
- Englishappropriate
- Englishreappropriate
From re- + appropriate.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
reappropriate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reappropriate
“reappropriate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reappropriate. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “reappropriate,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/reappropriate.
Source: reappropriate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.