retrofit

verb

ret·​ro·​fit ˈre-trō-ˌfit 

ˌre-trō-ˈfit

retrofitted or retrofit; retrofitting; retrofits

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

noun

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during World War II, when weapons technology was advancing at an intense pace and planes and ships were becoming outdated even before their construction was complete, and the only solution was to retrofit the completed craft with the brand-new technology.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

Unlike some jurisdictions in earthquake-prone California that require older homes and buildings to be retrofitted to modern seismic standards, New York’s building codes generally don't do that. —Lewis Kamb, NBC News, 6 Apr. 2024

While the industry is certainly moving to greater efficiency, not every building can be retrofitted while remaining profitable and decommissioning older designs may be the better answer. —Phillip Marangella, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

To be eligible for a grant, residents must own and live in the house to be retrofitted and live in a EBB program area, which is designated by ZIP Code. —Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 28 Jan. 2024

And the protections put in place don't always match up to the size of the disaster, even if the Key bridge was retrofitted with modern safety measures. —Ben Finley, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2024

My van life journey started with a 20-year-old minivan retrofitted with a futon mattress in the back. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 19 Mar. 2024

In conjunction with the Midwestern swing, the White House unveiled $3.3 billion in federal grants to remove or retrofit highways that separate minority neighborhoods in many cities from jobs, entertainment centers, hospitals and other services. —Cleve R. Wootson Jr., Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024

The next phase will test cool roofing, with GAF retrofitting a few homes and more to come if the test is successful. —Edwin Flores, NBC News, 1 Mar. 2024

The heart of the issue lies in a new mandate to retrofit certain vessels with unproven and unavailable technology known as Diesel Particulate Filters, or DPFs. —Jasmeet Bains, Orange County Register, 5 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

retrofit

verb

ret·​ro·​fit ˈre-trō-ˌfit 

: to install (new or modified parts or equipment) in something previously manufactured or constructed