Redefined

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. Changed the meaning or explanation of a word, concept, or idea to a new interpretation
2. Altered the accepted or original definition of something to reflect a different understanding
3. Modified the way something is defined or understood, giving it a different sense or explanation

Etymology: "Redefined" is the past tense and past participle of "redefine," which is simply "define" with the prefix "re-" attached. "Define" comes from Latin "definire," meaning to limit or set boundaries, from "de-" (completely) and "finire" (to end or bound), so its original sense was marking where something stops. The prefix "re-" means "again" or "anew," so to redefine something is to set its boundaries or meaning once more. That literal picture of drawing a new boundary around a concept explains why the word is so often used for shifting categories, such as when a term's meaning is widened or narrowed to fit new circumstances. The word is a transparent compound, so its meaning follows directly from its parts.

Synonyms: reinterpreted, revised, redefined

Antonyms: unchanged, stable