retrofit

English

WOTD – 2 February 2023

Etymology

The verb is derived from retro- (prefix meaning ‘back; backward’) +‎ fit (“to equip, supply”).

The noun, which is first attested later than the verb, is either derived:

• from the verb (see above); or
• from retro- +‎ fit (“act of fitting; conformity of elements one to another”).

Pronunciation

• Verb:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛtɹəʊˈfɪt/, /ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ˌfɪt/
  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌɹɛtɹoʊˈfɪt/, /ˈɹɛtɹoʊˌfɪt/
• Noun:
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛtɹə(ʊ)ˌfɪt/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

  • (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɹɛtɹoʊˌfɪt/
• Hyphenation: re‧tro‧fit

Verb

retrofit (third-person singular simple present retrofits, present participle retrofitting, simple past and past participle retrofitted) (originally US)

1. (transitive)
   1. To supply (a device, structure, etc.) with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; to modernize.

      Synonym: backfit

      • 2020 January 2, Richard Clinnick, “Midlands Metro Welcomes New Catenary-free Trams”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 16:

        Trams dating from 2012 have been retro-fitted with lithium batteries, with the conversions starting in 2018.

   2. To add or substitute (new components or parts) that were not previously available for or installed in a device, structure, etc.

      Synonym: backfit

   3. (computing) Synonym of backport (“to retroactively supply a fix or feature to a previous version of a software product at the same time or after supplying it to the current version.”)

      The bug was so bad that we had to retrofit our patch to the last three releases, as well as the newest release.

   4. (figuratively) To give new characteristics or make alterations (to someone or something) to suit them to changed circumstances.
2. (intransitive) To supply a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed.

Derived terms

• retrofittable
• retrofitted (adjective)
• retrofitter
• retrofitting (noun)
• retrogreen
• seismic retrofit

 

Related terms

• refit

Translations

(transitive) to supply (a device, structure, etc.) with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed — see also modernize

• Catalan: modernitzar (ca)
• Finnish: asentaa jälkikäteen
• German: nachrüsten (de), umrüsten (de)
• Italian: riequipaggiare
• Japanese: 後付けする, あとづけする (atozuke suru)
• Macedonian: осовре́мени (osovrémeni), модернизи́ра (modernizíra)
• Spanish: modernizar (es)

(transitive) to add or substitute (new components or parts) that were not previously available for or installed in a device, structure, etc.

• Finnish: asentaa jälkikäteen

synonym of backport — see backport

to give new characteristics or make alterations (to someone or something) to suit them to changed circumstances

• Finnish: sovittaa (fi)

(intransitive) to supply a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed

• Finnish: saada jälkikäteisasennuksena

Noun

retrofit (plural retrofits) (originally US)

1. An act of supplying a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; a retrofitting.
2. A change made to a device, structure, etc., by introducing components or parts that were not previously available or installed.

Derived terms

• post-retrofit

 

Related terms

• refit

Translations

act of supplying a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed — see also retrofitting

• Catalan: correcció retroactiva f
• Finnish: jälkikäteisasennus, jälkikäteisasentaminen
• German: Nachrüsten n, Umrüsten n
• Italian: retrofit m
• Japanese: 後付け, あとづけ (atozuke)
• Korean: 개비(改備) (ko) (gaebi)
• Spanish: corrección retroactiva f
• Turkish: teknik uyarlama

change made to a device, structure, etc., by introducing components or parts that were not previously available or installed

• Finnish: jälkikäteisasennus; jälkikäteisasennettu (adjective)

See also

• upgrade

Further reading

• retrofitting on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• retrofit (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Italian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English retrofit.

Noun

retrofit m (invariable)

1. retrofit