readjust
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
- readjustable adjective
- readjuster noun
- readjustment noun
Etymology
Origin of readjust
Explanation
You could readjust your TV antenna, your thinking, or the collar of your shirt. Whatever it is, when you readjust something, you make slight changes again and again until you get it right. When you adjust something, you make a change in order to improve something, such as a driver adjusting the side-view mirror on a car in order to see other cars better. So, when you add the prefix re-, it means "to adjust over and over." In the case of the mirror, you would readjust its angle until you can see perfectly well from your seat in the car.
Vocabulary lists containing readjust
Power Prefix: re-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: re-
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Power Prefix: Re-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That could lead to heightened volatility as traders readjust their positions, particularly during a time of geopolitical uncertainty.
From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026
As for Contreras, he is scheduled to start again for Blessed Trinity next Tuesday, leaving him in the unusual position of needing to readjust to regular old high-school baseball after pitching against MLB All-Stars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
“Giving it for two years, or whatever, and then abruptly stopping it, instead of phasing it down… that could have helped families prepare to readjust and rethink,” he said in 2023.
From Salon • Sep. 11, 2025
"The job situation is really, really challenging in mainland China, so I think a lot of young people have to really readjust their expectations," says Professor Zhang Jun from the City University of Hong Kong.
From BBC • Jan. 3, 2025
Percy flopped around, causing the kitten to readjust his nest in the small of Percy’s back.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.