reinvent
Americanverb (used with object)
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to invent again or anew, especially without knowing that the invention already exists.
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to remake or make over, as in a different form.
At 60, he reinvented himself as a volunteer. We have an opportunity to reinvent government.
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to bring back; revive.
to reinvent trust and accountability.
verb
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to replace (a product, etc) with an entirely new version
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to duplicate (something that already exists) in what is therefore a wasted effort (esp in the phrase reinvent the wheel )
Other Word Forms
- reinvention noun
Etymology
Origin of reinvent
Explanation
To reinvent something is to completely change or remake it so thoroughly that it seems brand new. The driverless car is going to reinvent the way people think about driving. When the earliest movies with sound were released, it seemed to reinvent film. And, when libraries started incorporating more technology and getting rid of card catalogs, they reinvented research. You can also literally reinvent something, by bringing it back: "They plan to reinvent their grandmother's lost recipe for homemade root beer." To "reinvent the wheel" means to do something redundantly — to waste time on something that's already been done.
Vocabulary lists containing reinvent
Words for a New Year
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Selection Vocabulary 4, Unit 5
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The Wrong Way Home
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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.
“The stuff that I wear is for men, and I just reinvent it and reimagine it,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
Instead, he was brought on as a consultant after he pitched his vision of how they could reinvent legacy sports brand Slazenger.
From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026
If we abolish SRG, we will have to reinvent it later.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
“We believe some of the AI fears are overstated with value ultimately accruing to software, though incumbents must remain nimble and reinvent themselves with the latest AI,” the analyst wrote.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
If a product or enterprise doesn’t constantly reinvent itself, it is superseded, cast aside, abandoned without sentiment in favor of something bigger, newer, and, alas, nearly always uglier.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
