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.

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Example Sentences

“So it was kind of reverse engineering what shopping centers had been for decades.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

“People have built up this story in their minds, with an expectation that there’s some stockpile of documents that detail alien landings and reverse engineering, and there isn’t,” Kirkpatrick said in an interview.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

This reverse engineering has turned up a surprising list of ingredients that were mixed into old buildings — materials such as tree bark, volcanic ash, rice, beer and even urine.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2023

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

Limitation on exclusive rights: reverse engineering; first sale + 907.

From Copyright Law of the United States of America and Related Laws Contained in Title 17 of the United States Code, Circular 92 by United States