Redefinitions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act or process of formulating a new statement or interpretation of something ; the expression of an updated explanation, idea, or theory ; the presentation of information in a revised way
2. Creating a revised version of a concept, statement, or explanation ; offering an altered clarification or perspective ; updating or restating something with new meaning
3. The process of restating, reinterpreting, or modifying an idea, statement, or explanation ; the introduction of a changed understanding ; expressing something in a different or updated manner

Etymology: "Redefinitions" is the plural of "redefinition," a noun formed by attaching the prefix "re-" (meaning again or anew) to "definition." The base word traces back through Old French "definicion" to the Latin "definitio," from "definire," to set limits to or bound, built from "de-" (off, completely) and "finire" (to end, from "finis," end or boundary). A definition, then, was originally a marking of a boundary, fixing where a thing begins and ends. Adding "re-" produces the sense of drawing those boundaries again. A redefinition is therefore a new setting of limits: when a concept's meaning is revised, a term's scope is narrowed or widened, or a standard is restated with altered criteria, the result is a redefinition. The plural refers to several such revised statements, or to multiple instances of a meaning being reset.

Synonyms: revisions, reinterpretations, clarifications, modifications, alterations