Repartitioning

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. Dividing something again into new parts or shares, especially the reallocation of land, seats, or resources into a fresh arrangement
2. Redistributing a whole into altered portions, as when electoral districts or property boundaries are drawn up anew
3. Allotting or splitting an existing set of assets, areas, or units into revised divisions for a different purpose

Etymology: "Repartitioning" is the present participle and gerund of "repartition", a verb meaning to divide something again or to divide it anew. It is formed from the prefix "re-" ("again") added to "partition", so its literal sense is "partitioning again." The base word "partition" came into English from Middle French "répartition", which descends from Latin "partitio", a noun built on "partire" ("to divide, to share out"), itself from "pars" ("part"). "Repartition" follows the same route: English took the base from French and then attached the Latin-derived "re-" prefix, giving the sense of a fresh division of an existing whole. The "re-" is the Latin prefix meaning "back" or "again," which English has used freely to make new verbs from older ones.

Synonyms: redistribution, reallocation