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reverse engineering

American  
[ri-vurs en-juh-neer-ing] / rɪˈvɜrs ˌɛn dʒəˈnɪər ɪŋ /

noun

  1. the process of deconstructing and analyzing a device, a piece of software, or some other product, in order to understand its design or function and be able to produce something similar.


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.

See Examples For:

USA Rare Earth dismissed the charges in a rebuttal it filed in Texas court last week, saying the technology is “readily ascertainable via independent development, reverse engineering, and/or other proper means.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Then, in a form of "reverse engineering," they traced how sound information travels through different areas of the brain to trigger milk flow.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2023

“I was informed in the course of my official duties of a multi-decade UAP crash retrieval and reverse engineering program to which I was denied access,” he said.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 26, 2023

Figuring out what his students went on to do with the training took some reverse engineering.

From Salon ● Jan. 1, 2023

In telling the story, Bunnie has also created a kind of Bible for reverse engineering and hardware hacking.

From Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

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