rearrangement

noun

re·​ar·​range·​ment ˌrē-ə-ˈrānj-mənt How to pronounce rearrangement (audio)
plural rearrangements
1
: the act of rearranging something or someone or the state of being rearranged
rearrangement of the furniture
changes that will require some rearrangement of the schedule
… lifting her hands for some rearrangement of her hat.Henry James
2
chemistry : a shifting of the atoms or groups in the molecule of a compound to form an isomeric compound

Examples of rearrangement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web It’s believed that the rearrangement is to allow the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus to record spatial video, something the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max can do but the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus cannot. David Phelan, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 By tracing the rearrangements, the researchers were able to identify eight rearrangements that were shared by animals with left and right sides like us vertebrates, and things like jellyfish (Cnidaria) and sponges (Porifera). John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 May 2023 The biggest change involves the rearrangement of scenes near the beginning. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Jan. 2024 Large-scale rearrangements happen, like fusion or splitting of chromosomes, or swapping a big chunk of one to another. John Timmer, Ars Technica, 17 May 2023 During isomerization, specific conditions are carefully controlled to facilitate this molecular rearrangement. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 9 July 2023 Such rearrangements among the micro-organisms could be a cause for concern, because they are involved in digestion, metabolism and immunity, and changes to their composition have been associated with neurological and physiological conditions. Kim Tingley, New York Times, 12 Nov. 2023 These rearrangements ultimately lead to the formation of new chemical bonds and yield delta-8 THC. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 1 Aug. 2023 Meanwhile, the limb’s nerves and muscles needed rearrangement to better direct the patient’s neurological motor control information into the prosthetic attachment. Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 12 Oct. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rearrangement was in 1778

Dictionary Entries Near rearrangement

Cite this Entry

“Rearrangement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rearrangement. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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