reinvent

/ˌˈriɪnˌvɛnt/

/riɪnˈvɛnt/

Other forms: reinvented; reinventing; reinvents

To reinvent something is to completely change or remake it so thoroughly that it seems brand new. The driverless car is going to reinvent the way people think about driving.

When the earliest movies with sound were released, it seemed to reinvent film. And, when libraries started incorporating more technology and getting rid of card catalogs, they reinvented research. You can also literally reinvent something, by bringing it back: "They plan to reinvent their grandmother's lost recipe for homemade root beer." To "reinvent the wheel" means to do something redundantly — to waste time on something that's already been done.

Definitions of reinvent

1. verb

   bring back into existence
   “The candidate reinvented the concept of national health care so that he would get elected”

   type of:

   create

   bring into existence
2. verb

   create anew and make over
   “He reinvented African music for American listeners”

   type of:

   recreate

   create anew