Definition of retrofit
transitive verb
1 : to furnish (something, such as a computer, airplane, or building) with new or modified parts or equipment not available or considered necessary at the time of manufacture
2 : to install (new or modified parts or equipment) in something previously manufactured or constructed
3 : to adapt to a new purpose or need : modify retrofit the story for a new audience
retrofit
\ˈre-trō-ˌfit\ nounIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
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 of retrofit from the Web
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Nonetheless, some school districts took decades to retrofit their locker rooms, often at considerable cost.
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And retrofitting an apartment built without ductwork could be prohibitively expensive.
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Australia is also planning to equip its three destroyers now under construction with the Aegis radar-and-combat system, which could be retrofitted for SM-3 missiles designed to take out medium-range ballistic missiles.
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Harbour’s support helped raise the minimum $15,000 to cover the costs of purchasing and retrofitting a car to derby driver safety standards.
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Ford Motor Company has retrofitted Cleveland Engine Plant 1 in Brook Park to accommodate EcoBoost engine production.
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Urie takes over the role of Charlie Price for a 10-week run in the popular musical about a staid British shoe factory on the brink of ruin that retrofits itself into a maker of footwear for drag queens.
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Yassine, Lebanese officers cooked up the plan to retrofit the Huey with a bomb release system because their antiquated Hawker Hunter jets couldn’t get off the ground.
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.
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during World War II, when weapons technology was advancing at an intense pace and planes and ships were becoming outdated even before their construction was complete, and the only solution was to retrofit the completed craft with the brand-new technology.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.
1949
First Known Use of retrofit
1949
RETROFIT Defined for English Language Learners
retrofit
playDefinition of retrofit for English Language Learners
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: to provide (something) with new parts that were not available when it was originally built
Learn More about retrofit
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