Repurpose

Other forms: repurposed; repurposing

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."

Definitions of repurpose

verb

adapt for a new use or format

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"Repurpose." Vocabulary.com Dictionary, Vocabulary.com, https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/repurpose. Accessed 04 Aug. 2025.

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He placed a cushion on the operating table, which was really just a desk repurposed from the former school, and I laid the bonobo down on it.

Endangered

They had very little, but that wasn’t immediately obvious: Mia was good at repurposing.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

“I just remember the classic Roach Motel slogan that, apparently, the poster is attempting to repurpose for a Latinx audience. Catch you later, Kojo!”

The Smartest Kid in the Universe by Chris Grabenstein

I turned back now to watch her walking behind me, red printed fabric over her nose and mouth, a rifle slung on her slender back with a sling crafted from repurposed seatbelts.

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘repurpose'.Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.Send us feedback

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