recreate

1 of 2

verb (1)

rec·​re·​ate ˈre-krē-ˌāt How to pronounce recreate (audio)
recreated; recreating; recreates

transitive verb

: to give new life or freshness to : refresh
supporters of preservation hope to recreate the architectural splendor that the old movie theater had when it first opened
… it became late enough to suggest tea. We had got through one brew, and the three great minds were recreating themselves with cake, when there came another knock at the door …G. Dosset

intransitive verb

: to take recreation
an old summer resort where families have been recreating for over a century
recreative adjective

re-create

2 of 2

verb (2)

re-cre·​ate ˌrē-krē-ˈāt How to pronounce re-create (audio)
variants or recreate
re-created or recreated; re-creating or recreating; re-creates

transitive verb

: to create again
especially : to form anew in the imagination
re-creatable adjective
re-creation noun
re-creative adjective
re-creator noun

Examples of recreate in a Sentence

Verb (1) supporters of preservation hope to recreate the architectural splendor that the old movie theater had when it first opened an old summer resort where families have been recreating for over a century Verb (2) The movie set re-creates a London street of 1895. The scene of the crime was re-created based upon police photographs.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The bans follow an onslaught of viral TikTok memes showing exasperated teens re-creating slipping on Crocs and tripping in their school hallways—a trend even Crocs acknowledged on the social media platform. Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2024 The self gets effaced and re-created in so many cross hatches, small threads, and hypnotic patterns. Carlos Valladares, ARTnews.com, 28 Oct. 2024 But neither restraint nor elegance was on hand with a recent job, for which she was tasked with re-creating the pouffy locks of the nineteen-eighties. Bruce Handy, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024 How Wallace re-creates a classic New Haven char without a charcoal oven. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for recreate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recreate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English recreaten, borrowed from Latin recreāre "to make new, restore, revive" — more at recreation

Verb (2)

re- + create entry 1

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Verb (2)

1587, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recreate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near recreate

Cite this Entry

“Recreate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recreate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

recreate

1 of 2 verb
rec·​re·​ate ˈrek-rē-ˌāt How to pronounce recreate (audio)
recreated; recreating
1
: to give new life or freshness to
2
: to take recreation
recreative
-ˌāt-iv
adjective

re-create

2 of 2 verb
re-cre·​ate
ˌrē-krē-ˈāt
: to create again especially in the imagination
re-creation
-ˈā-shən
noun
re-creative
-ˈāt-iv
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on recreate

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!