reverse

1 of 3

adjective

re·​verse ri-ˈvərs 

1

a

: opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition

reverse order

b(1)

: having the back presented to the observer or opponent

(2)

: made with one's back to the basketball net

a reverse layup

2

: coming from the rear of a military force

3

: acting, operating, or arranged in a manner contrary to the usual

4

: effecting reverse movement

reverse gear

5

: so made that the part which normally prints in color appears white against a colored background

reversely adverb

reverse

2 of 3

verb

reversed; reversing

transitive verb

1

a

: to turn completely about in position or direction

b

: to turn upside down : invert

c

: to cause to take an opposite point of view

reversed herself on the issue

2

: negate, undo: such as

a

: to overthrow, set aside, or make void (a legal decision) by a contrary decision

b

: to change to the contrary

reverse a policy

c

: to undo or negate the effect of (something, such as a condition or surgical operation)

had his vasectomy reversed

3

: to cause to go in the opposite direction

especially : to cause (something, such as an engine) to perform its action in the opposite direction

intransitive verb

1

: to turn or move in the opposite direction

the count's waltzing … consisted … of reversing at top speed

—Agatha Christie

2

: to put a mechanism (such as an engine) in reverse

reverser noun

reverse

3 of 3

noun

1

: something directly contrary to something else : opposite

2

: an act or instance of reversing

especially : defeat, setback

suffered financial reverses

3

: the back part of something

especially : the side of a coin or currency note that is opposite the obverse

4

a(1)

: a gear that reverses something

also : the whole mechanism brought into play when such a gear is used

(2)

: movement in reverse

b

: an offensive play in football in which a back moving in one direction gives the ball to a player moving in the opposite direction

Phrases

reverse field or reverse one's field

: to make a sudden reversal in direction or opinion

in reverse

: in an opposite manner or direction

Synonyms

Verb

• switch

Noun

• knock
• lapse
• reversal
• setback

Choose the Right Synonym for reverse

reverse, transpose, invert mean to change to the opposite position.

reverse is the most general term and may imply change in order, side, direction, meaning.

reversed his position on the trade agreement

transpose implies a change in order or relative position of units often through exchange of position.

transposed the letters to form an anagram

invert applies chiefly to turning upside down or inside out.

the number 9 looks like an inverted 6

Examples of reverse in a Sentence

Adjective

Can you say the alphabet in reverse order?

The drug is used to lower blood pressure but may have the reverse effect in some patients.

Verb

The runners reversed their direction on the track.

There is no way to reverse the aging process.

Can anything reverse the trend toward higher prices?

Reverse the “i” and “e” in “recieve” to spell “receive” correctly.

My mother and I reversed our roles. Now I'm taking care of her.

We're going to reverse our usual order and start with Z.

Noun

The building appears on the reverse of the coin.

Please sign your name on the reverse.

I put the car in reverse and backed out of the garage.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

BuzzFeed bets on reverse stock split Shares of BuzzFeed fell by more than 5% on Tuesday following news that the company would seek shareholder approval for a reverse stock split. —Vinamrata Chaturvedi, Quartz, 16 Apr. 2024

Following a 1-for-20 reverse stock split that allowed the company to avoid a delisting from the Nasdaq, an earnings call mention of AI seems to have convinced investors that the beleaguered business still has some life left. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 15 Apr. 2024

These include planks, crunches, reverse crunches, sit-ups, hanging knee raises, mountain climbers, scissor kicks, leg raises and bicycle kicks. —Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024

The fan group, which also helped organize last year’s reverse boycott, February’s Fans Fest in Jack London Square and the Opening Day boycott in the Coliseum parking lot, sold enough Last Dive Bar bracelets to donate $10,000 to Schools Over Stadiums this week. —Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024

Plan to see kids out and about and enjoying the fun, as many schools in the Green Mountain State will be closed for the eclipse in a reverse snow day. —Melissa Locker, TIME, 6 Apr. 2024

Seats in first and business classes are arranged in a reverse herringbone layout in a 1-2-1 configuration. —Rachel Dube, Robb Report, 3 Apr. 2024

Management and the Board of Directors evaluated a broad spectrum of potential options, including asset in-licensing, out-licensing, royalty monetization, strategic transactions (including reverse mergers, strategic mergers, and sale), and liquidation. —Charlotte Observer, 27 Mar. 2024

Additionally, Taylor Swift’s reverse transition more than a decade ago, from country singer to pop stadium-filler, has made genre-hopping more acceptable. —Tom Roland, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2024

Verb

While opponents of the Trump-era rules have praised the Biden administration for moving to reverse them, frustration at the government's pace has soured even supporters of the president's efforts. —Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 19 Apr. 2024

Although the couple began the appeal process to reverse their imprisonment, Todd and Julie still reported to prison in January 2023. —Brendan Le, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

Lewis asked the justices to reverse the 9th Circuit’s judgment. 4 fateful hours: The night Preston Lord crossed paths with the 'Gilbert Goons' Hundreds of Arizona schools made breakfast and lunch free for all students. —The Arizona Republic, 18 Apr. 2024

The organization has managed to convince a few landlords in the city to reverse vacate notices, according to Robert Penner, an organizer with the union. —Gina Lee Castro, Journal Sentinel, 18 Apr. 2024

The outcome of the case is being closely watched because of the possible impacts to the charges against Trump, which stem from what Smith alleges was a multi-pronged plot to reverse the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. —Melissa Quinn, CBS News, 16 Apr. 2024

Supporters of Trump could seek to reverse the company’s declining stock price, Richey said. —Max Zahn, ABC News, 16 Apr. 2024

Soon, the technology will disrupt every industry and fundamentally reshape our regular lives: new fertility treatments will transform parenthood; cellular reprogramming could start to reverse the aging process; biocomputing will power the computers of tomorrow. —Eric Schmidt, TIME, 16 Apr. 2024

But don’t expect your usual story about a female victim as this time, the roles will be reversed. —Marta Balaga, Variety, 8 Apr. 2024

Noun

And then in the summer, the system works in reverse. —Stephen Cass, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Apr. 2024

The same principle holds, in reverse, for elections in which both candidates are popular. —Nathaniel Rakich, ABC News, 1 Apr. 2024

Amid a final burst of rain showers that dropped a half-inch in less than a couple of hours at San Francisco International Airport on Wednesday came words from the National Weather Service, possibly signaling a reverse to the recent trend of wet weather. —Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024

Tuxedo Park natives like to tell the story in reverse—that fashion-forward clubgoers inspired the royal—but evidence suggests this innovation originated across the pond. —The Editors, Robb Report, 28 Mar. 2024

During the robbery, one of the men, Justin White, put his car in reverse. —Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Mar. 2024

To get back in safely, do the same steps (but in reverse order)—tighten your core before bending down, put your butt in the seat, and then (steadily) swing one foot in the door at a time. —Ashley Abramson, SELF, 25 Mar. 2024

Follow Election 2024 If the Supreme Court reverses or pares back the use of the obstruction charge, all of those cases would have to be reconsidered anew. —Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024

Security then moved a shuttle bus in front of the protestors, driving forward and in reverse to block them and try to muffle the sound. —William Earl, Variety, 25 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English revers, from Anglo-French, from Latin reversus, past participle of revertere to turn back — more at revert

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reverse

• in/into reverse gear
• in reverse
• in reverse order
• into reverse
• Quite the reverse
• reverse-charge
• reverse discrimination
• reverse engineer
• reverse field
• reverse gear
• reverse mortgage
• reverse oneself
• reverse one's field
• reverse osmosis
• reverse Polish notation
• reverse psychology
• reverse the charge
• reverse the charges
• reverse transcriptase
• reverse transcription
• reverse zoonosis
• the reverse
• the reverse is true

Kids Definition

reverse

1 of 3 adjective

re·​verse ri-ˈvərs 

1

: opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition

reverse order

2

: acting or working in a manner opposite to the usual

3

: bringing about backward movement

reverse gear

reversely adverb

reverse

2 of 3 verb

reversed; reversing

1

: to turn completely about or upside down or inside out

2

a

: to overthrow or set aside a legal decision by an opposite decision

b

: to change to the contrary

reverse a policy

3

a

: to go or cause to go in the opposite direction

b

: to put (as a car) into reverse

4

: to undo the effect of (as a condition)

face creams that promise to reverse the signs of aging

reverser noun

reverse

3 of 3 noun

1

: something directly opposite to something else

2

: an act or instance of reversing

especially : a change for the worse

3

: the back part of something

4

: a gear that reverses something

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English revers "opposite or contrary to a previous or normal condition," from early French revers (same meaning), from Latin reversus "turned back," from revertere "to turn back," from re- "again" + vertere "to turn" — related to converse, versatile, vertical, vice versa

Medical Definition

reverse

transitive verb

re·​verse ri-ˈvərs 

reversed; reversing

: to change drastically or completely the course or effect of: as

a

: to initiate recovery from

reverse a disease

b

: to make of no effect or as if not done

reverse a surgical procedure

Legal Definition

reverse

verb

re·​verse

reversed; reversing

transitive verb

: to set aside or make void (a judgment or decision) by a contrary decision compare affirm

intransitive verb

: to reverse a decision or judgment

for these reasons, we reverse

reversible adjective