revert

verb

re·​vert ri-ˈvərt 

reverted; reverting; reverts

intransitive verb

1

: to come or go back (as to a former condition, period, or subject)

2

: to return to the grantor or the grantor's heirs at the end of a reversion

3

: to return to an ancestral type

reverter noun

revertible

ri-ˈvər-tə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms of revert

• return

Examples of revert in a Sentence

after the national emergency had passed, the political parties abandoned their shotgun unity and reverted to their partisan squabbling

Recent Examples on the Web

The ruling effectively overturned the city’s ordinance, reverting the election to November 2025. —Miami Herald, 14 May 2026

Musk is seeking to have Altman removed from the company's board, the company reverted back to a nonprofit, and have millions to be transferred to the charity arm at OpenAI. —Jacob Rosen, CBS News, 14 May 2026

The campaign seeks to strike down the map at the ballot box, which would revert the state’s congressional districts back to the map lawmakers approved in 2022. —Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 14 May 2026

The litigation carries high stakes for OpenAI, which could be forced to revert back to its previous structure as a nonprofit if the court sides with Musk. —Alison Durkee, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French revertir, from Latin revertere, transitive verb, "to turn back" & reverti, intransitive verb, "to return, come back," from re- + vertere, verti "to turn" — more at worth

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing revert

• revert to
• revert to type

Rhymes for revert

• alert
• assert
• avert
• dessert
• divert
• evert
• exert
• inert
• insert
• invert
• nightshirt
• overt

Kids Definition

revert

verb

re·​vert ri-ˈvərt 

1

: to come or go back

reverted to the customs of their ancestors

2

: to experience reversion

Medical Definition

revert

intransitive verb

re·​vert ri-ˈvərt 

: to undergo reversion

revertible

-ˈvərt-ə-bəl 

adjective

Legal Definition

revert

intransitive verb

re·​vert ri-ˈvərt 

1

: to come or go back (as to a former status or state)

if the donee of a general power fails to exercise it…the appointive assets revert to the donor's estate

—W. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.

2

: to return to the grantor or his or her heirs as a reversion

revertible

-ˈvər-tə-bəl 

adjective