retrofit

verb

ret·ro·fit | \ ˈre-trō-ˌfit

, ˌre-trō-ˈfit\

retrofitted or retrofit; retrofitting; retrofits

Definition of retrofit

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

Other Words from retrofit Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about retrofit

Keep scrolling for more

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during World War II, when weapons technology was advancing at an intense pace and planes and ships were becoming outdated even before their construction was complete, and the only solution was to retrofit the completed craft with the brand-new technology.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 eCOPO is far from the first muscle car that’s been retrofitted with electric power. — Sean O'kane, The Verge, "Chevy’s new electric Camaro is the near future of EV drag racing," 4 Nov. 2018 The latter option was deemed to be too expensive by Trump and other real estate developers, who estimated retrofitting structures to add sprinklers would cost up to $4 per square foot. — Kyle Swenson, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump once lobbied against fire sprinklers in existing New York high-rises, including Trump Tower," 9 Apr. 2018 The San Francisco startup, which GM bought two years ago and has made the center of its self-driving efforts, originally worked to retrofit existing cars to be autonomous. — Carolyn Said, San Francisco Chronicle, "GM, Cruise ready self-driving car with no steering wheel or brake pedals," 11 Jan. 2018 Initially, the sleeper modules would be offered on Airbus’ A330 widebodies – either on new deliveries or with an option to retrofit existing aircraft. — Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY, "Sleeper berths in airline cargo holds? That’s the plan at Airbus," 10 Apr. 2018 Mayor called for funding to retrofit classrooms with bulletproof doors and windows and tighter security, and called for stricter gun laws. — BostonGlobe.com, "Hundreds of thousands around the world make emotional plea for action," 24 Mar. 2018 If the building is found to be vulnerable, owners are given seven more years to file plans to retrofit or demolish the building. — Anchorage Daily News, "LA races the clock on earthquake retrofitting," 11 Jan. 2018 Airlines including Delta, American and United have been retrofitting older planes with bins that can fit more bags. — Alison Sider, WSJ, "Airlines’ Boarding Changes Reward Higher-Paying Travelers," 21 Dec. 2018 In general, retrofitting an existing combat system onto a real-time online game makes fighting feel cheap and frustrating. — Sarah Leboeuf, Ars Technica, "Two weeks in, Fallout 76 is a lonely, glitchy, flawed mess," 28 Nov. 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.