Redefinition

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. To provide a new or different explanation or meaning for a term or concept
2. To change the definition of something by describing it in another way
3. To restate the meaning of a word or idea using different words or perspectives

Etymology: "Redefinition" is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "re-" ("again" or "back") attached to "definition," which itself comes from Latin "definitio," a noun built from "definire," meaning "to limit" or "to set boundaries," from "de-" plus "finire" ("to end" or "to finish"). A definition, at root, is a fencing-in of meaning, drawing a line around what a word covers. To redefine something is therefore to draw that boundary again, shifting where the edges sit. The word's usefulness comes from that sense of drawing the line anew. A term can be redefined without changing its spelling, so the same label quietly takes on a different territory of meaning. Because the "re-" is productive, English speakers can attach it to nearly any noun or verb to signal a fresh start, which is why the word is so easy to form and so easy to understand on first hearing.

Synonyms: revision, reconsideration, reformulation

Antonyms: definition