Etymologically
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redesign

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 15:27. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˌɹiː.dɪˈzaɪn/[1]
  • US: /ˌɹi.dɪˈzaɪn/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English re- (“again”) + design.[2][3][4] The noun is a conversion of the verb, on the model of the noun design.[2][3] Design is ultimately from Latin dēsignō (“to mark out, point out”), from dē- and signō (“to mark”), from signum (“sign, mark”).[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

To design again or differently: before 1807, in John Opie's Lectures on Painting (published 1809).[2][4] Etymonline dates the verb only from 1843.[3]

Semantic evolution

The noun, the act of designing something again or the new design that results, follows in 1881, in the Manufacturer and Builder.[2][3] The Historical Thesaurus places the verb both among the words for decorating with artistic skill and among those for planning.[5] Merriam-Webster defines it broadly as revising something in appearance, function or content.[4]

Timeline

  • before 1807 – verb, to design again or differently.[2][4]
  • 1843 – the verb according to Etymonline.[3]
  • 1881 – noun, a new or revised design.[2][3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To change the design of something, revising its look, function or content: The council redesigned the town square.[6][4][2]

Noun

  1. The act of designing something again.[4][2]
  2. Something that has been redesigned; a new design.[6][2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d e f Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ Kay, Christian; Roberts, Jane; Samuels, Michael; Wotherspoon, Irené, eds. (2009), Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford: Oxford University Press; online edition (2024)
  6. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins