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

"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

And they would be far harder for the president to repurpose as leverage in an unrelated trade fight.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026

The federal Bureau of Land Management released documents Thursday saying the company’s plan to repurpose 162 miles of the pipeline to transport water “will not significantly affect” the environment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

As a result, it has been tagged for disposal, though efforts are underway to repurpose it.

From Barron's ● May 26, 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

Pending further research in this area, policymakers should assume that strong open models can be repurposed for harm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

Watching Banderas spend a day simmering his own handcrafted ketchup simply to store it in repurposed Heinz bottles says everything about the guy’s devotion to food and his indifference toward marketing.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Many of those walk-in centres were subsequently either shut down or repurposed into other services such as emergency care centres.

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

The researchers conclude that portions of the original median eye were repurposed during evolution.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

They tell a miniature story: In the first, a tram has just arrived, a streetcar, repurposed for these transports.

From "Girl in the Blue Coat" by Monica Hesse

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

For more information on repurposing this content and your eligibility for badge licensing, visit wsj.com/bestcompanieslicensing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 8, 2026

Ford is repurposing battery production that it expected to use for its electric vehicles, because EV sales have slowed.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 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

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