Definition of RETROFIT

Did You Know?

The concept of retrofitting became an urgent necessity during World War II, when weapons technology was advancing at an intense pace and planes and ships were becoming outdated even before their construction was complete, and the only solution was to retrofit the completed craft with the brand-new technology. Retrofitting was revived on a massive scale during the energy crisis of the 1970s, when new features were added to millions of old houses to make them more energy-efficient. Retrofitting is thus different from merely renovating, which may not involve any new technology at all.

Examples of retrofit in a Sentence

The factory has been retrofitted to meet the new safety regulations. We can retrofit your car with the new fuel system.

Recent Examples on the Web

The crew then retrofitted the space with plywood and waterproofed it before installing the shell of the pool. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Artist turns old camper trailer into a mobile swimming pool," 15 June 2018 Four years ago, Travis Burke climbed into his grandma’s retrofitted old van and hit the road with just $81.10 and the goal of becoming a successful adventure photographer. — Pam Kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Roving photographer plans giveaway for famous van," 16 May 2018 The facility is a former Walmart that has been retrofitted to house more than 1,000 youths transferred from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). — Graham Kates, CBS News, "Teen was 42nd child to flee network of migrant shelters along border since October," 25 June 2018 But on Tuesday, the group reversed its decision, forcing DOT to close bathrooms on half of the Hartford Line trains until they’ve been retrofitted to meet ADA requirements. — Matthew Ormseth, courant.com, "Riding The Hartford Line: Years In The Making, Now Days Away," 13 June 2018 The property is made up of multiple train cabooses that have been retrofitted with beds and bathrooms, and a 3-room farmhouse, with rates starting at $116 per night. — Annemarie Conte, Woman's Day, "Yes, It Is Possible to Take a Family Trip That Feels Like a Vacation," 4 June 2018 The New York Times notes that Massachusetts' New Bedford port has been retrofitted to bear the incredible weight of some of the infrastructure that will be needed for a significant offshore wind buildout in the next ten years. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "America, your offshore wind is coming: 1.2GW in contracts awarded," 24 May 2018 But many older vehicles have not been retrofitted to reduce the hazard, despite the modest expense of doing so. — Anchorage Daily News, "Keyless cars are convenient, but can lead to a deadly error," 14 May 2018 It was made before the law required protective cages around fuel tanks, and had not been retrofitted to add one. — Justin Price, The Courier-Journal, "How the horror of the Carrollton bus crash made highways safer," 10 May 2018

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