Where does “redefine” come from?
Redefine comes from Middle English re- prefixed to define, with re- from Old French re- and Latin re- (meaning "again"), while define derives from Latin dēfīnīre, combining de- and fīnīre (meaning "to set bounds").
redefine (English): To define again or differently
Definitions
- To define again or differently
Ancestry of “redefine”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | define | To determine with precision; to mark out with... |
| 2 | Middle English | definen | — |
| 3 | Old French | definer | to finish; to end |
| 4 | Latin | dēfīniō | to bound, set bounds to; to limit |
| 5 | Latin | dē- | of; from |
| 6 | Latin | dē | of; concerning; about |
| 7 | Latin | post | behind; after, since, besides, except; behind,... |
| 8 | Latin | poste | ablative singular of postis |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | posti | behind, after |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pósti | after |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | pós | afterwards, post; by, at |