redefine

R1E1D2E1F4I1N1E1

verb

To define again or differently.

Less commonScrabble 12
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Meanings

verbredefine (third-person singular simple present redefines, present participle redefining, simple past and past participle redefined)

present singular third person redefines · participle present redefining · participle past redefined · past redefined

  1. transitiveTo define again or differently.

    Scientists and policy makers from around 60 nations voted unanimously Friday to redefine the kilogram. […] Friday’s vote has permanently redefined the kilogram and sent Le Grand K into retirement.

    2018 November 13, Matthew Robinson and Lianne Kolirin, “The world has just redefined the kilogram”, in CNN
    1 more example

    But only if one forgets that Mr. Tester is 50 years old, he’s seasoned in state politics, he ran a canny, gloves-off campaign, and he’s the kind of charismatic, hard-to-peg, Western neopopulist (like his friend, Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana) who might be, even now, redefining in certain far-reaching ways what it means to be a Democrat.

    2007 January 7, Deirdre Mcnamer, “They Came From Montana”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 26 Jan 2021
    1. transitiveTo give a new or different definition to (a word).
    2. transitivecomputingTo define a previously defined area of storage etc. in a different manner, e.g. changing it from textual to numeric.

      Next the "key redefiner" software came along. These were special programs that could "redefine" the keys on your keyboard , while still permitting you the normal use of the keys.

      1992, Herman Holtz, Databased Marketing, page 170

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
redescribe

Origin

From re- + define.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan redefinir
  • redefinirto give a new or different definition to a word
Chinese Mandarin 重新定義 /重新定义
  • 重新定義 /重新定义 (chóngxīn dìngyì)to give a new or different definition to a word
Czech předefinovat
  • předefinovatto give a new or different definition to a word
Finnish määritellä uudelleen, määritellä uudelleen
  • määritellä uudelleento give a new or different definition to a word
  • määritellä uudelleento define an area of storage, that has already been defined, in a different manner
French redéfinir
  • redéfinirto give a new or different definition to a word
Greek επαναπροσδιορίζω
  • επαναπροσδιορίζω (epanaprosdiorízo)to give a new or different definition to a word
Italian ridefinire
  • ridefinireto give a new or different definition to a word
Māori tautuhi anō
  • tautuhi anōto define an area of storage, that has already been defined, in a different manner
Polish przedefiniować, przedefiniowywać
  • przedefiniowaćto give a new or different definition to a word
  • przedefiniowywaćto give a new or different definition to a word
Romanian redefini
  • redefinito give a new or different definition to a word
Russian переопределя́ть, переопредели́ть
  • переопределя́ть (pereopredeljátʹ)to give a new or different definition to a word
  • переопредели́ть (pereopredelítʹ)to give a new or different definition to a word
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: redefine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.