repurpose

WOTD – 6 June 2011

English

Etymology

From re- +‎ purpose.

Verb

repurpose ‎(third-person singular simple present repurposes, present participle repurposing, simple past and past participle repurposed)

1. To reuse for a different purpose, on a long-term basis, without alteration.

   The town common was repurposed as a practice field.

2. To alter to make more suited for a different purpose.

   The church was repurposed as a nightclub by lighting changes and removing the pews, but it never opened.

Synonyms

• (reuse):
• (alter): remodel

Translations

reuse without alteration

• Esperanto: aliuzi

• Finnish: kierrättää (fi), ottaa parempaan käyttöön
• Portuguese: reutilizar (pt)

alter

• Finnish: muuntaa (fi), muuttaa (fi)
• German: umändern (de), abändern (de), umwandeln (de), abwandeln

• Portuguese: adaptar (pt)
• Russian: (somewhat) перенацелить (ru) ‎(perenacelitʹ)