Converting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of transforming an object or idea into a different format or use occurs during the act of reformatting or switching functions and purposes
2. Changing the form or function of an item or concept is a process involving the adaptation and reallocation of its original state or meaning
3. The act of altering the characteristics or purpose of something involves transforming its existing form and adapting it to a new function or interpretation

Etymology: The verb "convert" carries a Latin core that is easy to see once you split it apart: "com-", meaning "together" or "thoroughly," joined to "vertere," "to turn." So the original picture is of turning something completely around, which is why the idea of changing one thing into another sits so naturally inside it. The Latin form "convertere" meant "turn around" in a fairly literal, physical sense before it took on the broader meaning of altering something's nature. The word reached English through a two-step route. It passed from Latin into Old French as "convertir," and from there into Middle English as "converten." The Old French form is the direct ancestor of the English verb, so the spelling and sound shifts you see today run through French rather than coming straight from Latin. The participle "converting" is simply the ongoing form of that verb, carrying the same sense of turning something from one state, form, or purpose into another.

Synonyms: transforming, changing, converting, converting, turning

Antonyms: maintaining, preserving, stagnating, staying, remaining