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during World War II, when weapons technology was advancing at an intense pace and planes and ships were becoming outdated even before their construction was complete, and the only solution was to retrofit the completed craft with the brand-new technology.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

The companies for whom this is painful built a growth machine and are now retrofitting discipline into it. — Serhii Zakharov, Forbes.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Cruise Critic reported that standard double-occupancy rooms would likely be reclassified rather than retrofitted. — Peter McGraw, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2026

Data centers are increasingly shrink-wrapped around the hardware of their moment; in some cases, building anew can be more efficient than retrofitting for a changeover in chips, cooling systems and power demands. — Austyn Gaffney, Scientific American, 9 Sep. 2026

Crate-free producers have been able to continue to sell their pork into California and Massachusetts, while farms that did use the crates had to spend money to retrofit their barns or lose out on participating in those markets. — Kenny Torrella, Vox, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1949, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for retrofit

• candlelit
• counterfeit
• hypocrite
• resubmit
• acquit
• admit
• armpit
• backlit
• befit
• cockpit
• commit
• dalit

Kids Definition

retrofit

verb

ret·​ro·​fit ˈre-trō-ˌfit 

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