Redesign

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˌɹiː.dɪˈzaɪn/

Definitions

1. To alter the configuration of an existing object in order to improve its usability or visual appeal
2. To modify the structure or appearance of a pre-existing item for the purpose of improving its functionality or aesthetic appeal
3. To create a new version of an existing design by altering its elements for better form or function

Etymology: "Redesign" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "anew," attached to "design." The base word has a longer history, reaching English through Old French "desseign" and Latin "designare," meaning "to mark out" or "to designate." The Latin root is "signum," a sign or mark, and the same idea of marking out a plan runs through "design" from its earliest English uses. The prefix does most of the work here. Adding "re-" to a noun or verb that means to shape or plan produces a sense of making over something that already exists, so a redesign is a new version of an existing thing rather than a fresh invention. The verb has been formed in English in exactly this way, on the same pattern as "rebuild" or "rewrite."

Synonyms: revamp, restructure

Antonyms: maintain, preserve