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 (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
Wickedness rules in today’s film culture, such that Glazer can re-create Auschwitz as a sci-fi gimmick. Armond White, National Review, 20 Mar. 2024 The 2024 presentation re-creates 13 pieces of art inspired by stories from the Old Testament and up through the New Testament, using the varied skill sets of some 300 volunteers. Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 This little bloom, with barely an inch of stem attached, still likely had enough energy within it to re-create an entire plant body, if given the right conditions. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 19 Mar. 2024 In five days, the gears were set in motion to re-create and surpass the protests of 2015 and 2021. Paresh Dave, WIRED, 14 Mar. 2024 How Caitlin Clark re-created the iconic Kobe Bryant photo with a trophy in a shower stall. Anthony De Leon, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 In a show of solidarity, several murals re-creating the work of artists from Gaza were unveiled in Belfast this month. Marisa Bellack, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 When the machine tried to re-create Smashmallow’s most popular flavor, churro, the cinnamon coating didn’t stick and blew into the air. Peter Rubin, Longreads, 7 Mar. 2024 How to Make an Iconic Oscar Dress From Scraps Instagram star Angelica Hicks, who recently re-created Selena Gomez’s Emmys dress out of seaweed, puts together for THR four legendary red carpet looks worn by Zendaya, Cher, Bjork and Julia Roberts out of gaffer tape, tablecloths and pills for pearls. Thr Staff, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024

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 28 Mar. 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!