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. )

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

Faced with booming demand, Flextronics, another tech manufacturer in Jalisco, even had to repurpose its parking lots to expand manufacturing capacity, Flores said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

"One potential future direction is to repurpose these drugs to target overactivation of glial cells and perhaps reverse some of the phenotypes in tauopathies"

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

Even if a small percentage of smartphone chips don’t meet specifications, Apple still has millions to repurpose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026

Historic England ran a four-year programme to repurpose derelict and underused buildings as community spaces such as cinemas and market halls, and run cultural events, while in Walsall a £1.5bn regeneration project is planned.

From BBC ● May 2, 2026

“I just remember the classic Roach Motel slogan that, apparently, the poster is attempting to repurpose for a Latinx audience. Catch you later, Kojo!”

From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein

There are eight fewer sports involved compared to 2014, given the short build-up, and venues from 12 years ago have been repurposed.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Working in food, my office is quite literally the kitchen: I write at a repurposed steel prep table, with my laptop on top and Dutch ovens stored below, that sits directly beside the stove.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

The work may also help researchers identify existing drugs that could be repurposed for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias driven by tau.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026

These companies weren’t major players in the power industry during that cycle and have a lot of engine capacity that can be repurposed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

I turned back now to watch her walking behind me, red printed fabric over her nose and mouth, a rifle slung on her slender back with a sling crafted from repurposed seatbelts.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline

The Bureau of Land Management said in its authorization that repurposing the pipeline for water “would comply with all applicable statutes and regulations.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

This would be achieved by "repurposing plants", such as in Poissy outside the French capital, and "leveraging partnerships" such as in Madrid and Zaragoza in Spain, as well as Rennes in western France, it said.

From Barron's ● May 21, 2026

"We have learned things from the pandemic, particularly around the benefit of repurposing known drugs to treat infections," she said.

From BBC ● May 14, 2026

The Food and Drug Administration this week began soliciting input on ways to advance drug repurposing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026

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

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• reuse