Resale

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈriːseɪl/

Definitions

1. The action of offering goods for sale a second time after initial acquisition occurs when ownership changes from one party to another for items that are not brand new
2. The process of selling an item that has already been bought by another party, involving the exchange of ownership between consumers, usually for items that are not newly manufactured
3. The act of putting items back on the market after they have been initially bought by someone else

Etymology: "Resale" is a plain compound: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back," attached to "sale." Its prefix traces back through Latin "re-" to a much older root, but the path into English runs through Old French, where "re-" was common in words that repeated an action, and it reached Middle English as a prefix already familiar from words like "reprove" and "return." The "sale" half is the older and more surprising part. It came into English from Old Norse "sala," meaning a giving or handing over, and it has been an English word for centuries, so "resale" essentially just says "sell again." Because it is so transparent, the word is less a coinage with a story than a sign of how readily English combines a prefix with an existing noun whenever a new idea needs a name.

Synonyms: reselling, secondhand sale, retail, trade, exchange

Antonyms: purchase, buying, acquisition