reprogram

verb re·pro·gram \ (ˌ)rē-ˈprō-ˌgram , -grəm \

Updated on: 16 Apr 2018

Definition of reprogram

transitive verb

: to program anew; especially : to revise or write a new program for

reprogram a computer

intransitive verb

: to rewrite or revise a program especially of a computer

—

reprogrammable

play \(ˌ)rē-ˈprō-ˌgra-mə-bəl, -ˌprō-ˈgra-\ adjective

Recent Examples of reprogram from the Web

The Pentagon can likely reprogram funds in the short term but would probably need authorization from Congress beyond a few months, said the aide, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

— jill colvin, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump working with governors to send troops to guard Mexican border," 4 Apr. 2018
Another, from Ohio Sate University, involved a new technology that can reprogram cells in a number of different situations, including to help heal wounded tissue.

— eric boodman, STAT, "How gut bacteria impact cancer treatment: meet the STAT Madness 2018 Editors’ Pick," 2 Apr. 2018
But unlike those early computers, the latest machines are becoming smart enough to reprogram—even fix—themselves as needed.

— gabrielle jonas, Newsweek, "Where Have All the Good Jobs Gone? Ask a Robot.," 30 Nov. 2014
To adjust to the new viewing reality, over-the-air viewers had to rescan or reprogram their sets so their TVs could find the new frequencies for the stations.

— chris foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Some Milwaukee TV stations relocate, others disappear in latest frequency shuffle," 10 Jan. 2018
Poo said that was because of improvements in lab techniques and because researchers added two substances that helped reprogram the DNA from the fetus.

— Time, "Scientists Have Cloned Monkeys for the First Time. Are Humans Next?," 24 Jan. 2018
For example: tech titan Amazon has reprogramed its hallmark AI-assistant product, Alexa, to be more evidently feminist.

— jennifer lance, Glamour, "Amazon's Alexa Now Stands Up for Herself If You Use Sexist Language," 22 Jan. 2018
Engineers must reprogram the machine for any change to its routine.

— daniela hernandez, WSJ, "Can Robots Learn to Improvise?," 15 Dec. 2017
In the incident, hackers used sophisticated malware to take remote control of a workstation running a Schneider Electric Triconex Tricon safety shutdown system, then sought to reprogram controllers used to identify potential safety issues.

— Fortune, "Hackers Successfully Shut Down Some 'Critical Infrastructure'," 14 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reprogram.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.