Restructure

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹiːˈstɹʌktʃə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. To reorganize or rearrange the internal organization, framework, or composition of something in a fundamental way
2. To make significant changes to the structure or organization of something in order to improve efficiency or function
3. To alter the established arrangement or framework of various components or elements for enhanced performance or effectiveness

Etymology: The verb "restructure" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again" or "back", attached to "structure". The root of "structure" is the Latin "structura", from "struere", "to build" or "to pile up", which is also the ancestor of "construct" and "instruct". So at its heart the word means building something again, or building it differently. "Structure" reached English through Old French, and "re-" arrived in English from Latin, where it was a common prefix for repeating or reversing an action. Because "re-" can be attached to almost any verb, English speakers have used it freely, and "restructure" belongs to a family of words such as "rebuild" and "reconstruct" that share the same idea of building anew. The word's sense has shifted over time. Early uses of "structure" referred to physical buildings, and only later came to describe the abstract arrangement of parts, which is the sense "restructure" now carries when it means reorganizing a company, a system, or a sentence.

Synonyms: reorganize, rearrange, redesign, revamp, modify

Antonyms: dismantle, disorganize, destroy, neglect, ignore