Retransform

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To convert back to a previous format or state; to reverse the process of transformation; to restore original characteristics after alteration
2. The act of changing something back from a modified or transformed state to its original form; reversing prior conversion; reinstating initial attributes following modification
3. The process of undoing a prior transformation by returning to an earlier configuration; reversing changes made; reestablishing the original condition after an intervening change

Etymology: "Retransform" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "back" or "again", attached to "transform," which comes from Latin "transformare," built from "trans-" ("across," "beyond") and "formare" ("to shape," from "forma," "form"). Put together, the word means to shape something back across the change it has already undergone, returning it to the form it had before. The prefix does most of the work here. English has long attached "re-" to verbs of change and making, so "retransform" follows the same pattern as words like "reshape" or "reconvert." Its sense is narrow and technical in most uses, typically describing a second change that restores a prior state, as when a converted file, material, or system is reverted to its original configuration.

Synonyms: reconvert, restore, revert, repeat transformation, reprocess

Antonyms: transform, convert, degrade