repurpose

American  

[ree-pur-puhs] / ˌriˈpɜr pəs /

verb (used with object)

repurposed, repurposing

1. to adapt or utilize (something) for a new purpose.

   The objective is to create affordable housing by repurposing abandoned commercial properties.

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Etymology

Origin of repurpose

First recorded in 1980–85; re- ( def. ) + purpose ( def. )

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Explanation

When you repurpose something, you use it again in an entirely new way. You might decide to repurpose rinsed-out yogurt containers to grow flower seedlings on your windowsill. When you adapt anything to a new function, you repurpose it, from the newspaper you repurpose to line your hamster's cage to the old tablet your dad has repurposed for reading recipes in the kitchen while he cooks. In technology, this verb is often used for information that's used again in updated formats. The word first appeared around 1983, from re-, "anew," and purpose, "to have as an objective or intention."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

repurpose repurposed repurposing

Crafty folks will often repurpose pianos for $100 to $500 or so.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Counterintuitively, this means that organizations like Cornerstone can repurpose older silicon manufacturing equipment used for earlier generations of processors.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Our own A.I. policy preference is that the government should unplug it, then repurpose gigantic data centers into the biggest Chili’s franchises you’ve ever seen.

From Slate ● Sep. 12, 2026

Ford Motor is looking to data centers to repurpose excess production capacity for electric vehicle batteries.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

I dismantled my sleeping nest to repurpose its branches and hewed off additional ones from nearby trees.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo

The agency repurposed material originally developed for World Toilet Day, which falls on Nov. 19.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2026

Although the room has since been repurposed, architectural features associated with its former use remain.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 19, 2026

Gleaning Cornwall started in 2020 and said it had repurposed more than 460 tonnes of produce since then.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Others are buying bigger but relatively inefficient and polluting natural-gas turbines, or even repurposed jet engines.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

“What did you do?” said Molly as she helped Clara wrap a cord across Anat’s chest, repurposed from one of the rolls of spare carpet bundled up in the corner.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

The couple are about half way through their renovations, which have included repurposing the Sunday school room as a pottery studio, and he said they hoped to recruit local apprentices to boost the local economy.

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

Perea, who describes himself as a bargain shopper, is passionate about repurposing whatever he can; many of the succulents at the stadium came from his own clippings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

"Additionally, our study suggests potential therapeutic opportunities to expedite this process, such as repurposing drugs like SGLT2 inhibitors, which have shown promise in reducing inflammation and promoting immune-mediated clearance of senescent cells in obesity."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 2, 2026

A partnership of energy, infrastructure and utility companies plan to develop a data center campus on the Energy Department’s Paducah site in western Kentucky, repurposing the land as part of a privately-funded project.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

They had very little, but that wasn’t immediately obvious: Mia was good at repurposing.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

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Related Words

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