Reintroducing

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act of bringing something back into use or practice after its absence
2. Returning an idea, species, or object to a previous place or situation where it was once present
3. Restoring an element or custom to a former state or position after it had been removed or discontinued

Etymology: "Reintroducing" is the present participle of "reintroduce," so it is the same verb in its ongoing form, used for the act of bringing something back into use, presence or knowledge after it has disappeared. The verb itself is a plain formation: the prefix "re-," meaning again, attached to "introduce." "Introduce" is the older part, and its history is the more interesting one. It comes from Latin "introducere," which combined "intro," meaning inside, with "ducere," to lead, so the original sense was leading someone inward, into a room or into a presence. English borrowed the idea through Old French, and the sense of formally presenting one person to another grew out of that literal leading in. Because "re-" is a prefix that English can attach to most verbs, "reintroduce" is a transparent compound rather than a word with a separate story of its own. It is the same kind of formation as "return" or "rebuild," and its meaning follows directly from its parts.

Synonyms: reinstating, reestablishing