verb
Other Word Forms
- reformulation noun
Etymology
Origin of reformulate
Explanation
To reformulate is to rework or improve an original plan. If your bottle rocket goes off course, crashing into your kitchen window, you will want to reformulate the flight plans before you launch it again. Fortunately for English speakers, there are a lot of linguistic opportunities for second chances! Reformulate is one of those words that give you a chance to improve upon a first try. Words in this “do-over” family include revise, rework, and redevelop; notice the re in all of these words, from the Latin “again” or “back.” Reformulate is usually used for a formula, theory, or plan.
Vocabulary lists containing reformulate
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.
They are trying to reformulate their products by doing things like adding more protein and taking out artificial colors and sweeteners.
From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025
Food companies are racing to switch up supply chains and reformulate products to meet the moment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025
“Manufacturers who use FD&C Red No. 3 in food and ingested drugs will have until January 15, 2027, or January 18, 2028, respectively, to reformulate their products,” the FDA said in a statement.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025
Food manufacturers using red No 3 will have until January 2027 to reformulate their products, while drug manufacturers will have an extra year - until January 2028 - to adjust.
From BBC • Jan. 15, 2025
This approach led Heisenberg, Erwin Schrodinger, and Paul Dirac in the 1920s to reformulate mechanics into a new theory called quantum mechanics, based on the uncertainty principle.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
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.
