Reutilize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To apply an object more than once in its original capacity To repurpose an item for its primary design again To conserve resources by using something multiple times as intended
2. To employ an item a second time for its initial function rather than discarding it
3. To make use of an object repeatedly in the way it was originally meant to be used

Etymology: "Reutilize" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-", meaning "again," attached to "utilize." The prefix is the older and more interesting half. It traces back to the Latin "re-," which descends from a much older root with the same sense of "back" or "again," and it passed into English through Old French and Middle English before settling into the modern language. "Utilize" is the newer part. It was formed in English from "utile," meaning "useful," which came from Latin "utilis." So "reutilize" literally means "to use again," with "utilize" itself carrying the idea of putting something to practical use. The word combines a very old prefix with a relatively late verb built on the same Latin base.

Synonyms: reuse, repurpose

Antonyms: waste, discard