revert

verb

re·​vert ri-ˈvərt How to pronounce revert (audio)
reverted; reverting; reverts

intransitive verb

1
: to come or go back (as to a former condition, period, or subject)
2
: to return to the proprietor or his or her heirs at the end of a reversion
3
: to return to an ancestral type
reverter noun
revertible adjective

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
In races with few polls, the polling average is reverted back toward the imputed average there based on polls in other districts. G. Elliott Morris, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2024 His plan suggests reverting property tax bills to 2021 levels. Brittany Carloni and Kayla Dwyer, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Oct. 2024 The Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled the challenge was made four seconds after the one-minute deadline and reverted Chiles’ score to 13.666, putting her back in fifth place. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 24 Sep. 2024 There was a timeline where Musk essentially reverted Twitter to its founding ethos—one that had a naive and simplistic idea of real-time global conversation. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 19 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for revert 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of revert was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near revert

Cite this Entry

“Revert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revert. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

revert

verb
re·​vert ri-ˈvərt How to pronounce revert (audio)
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 How to pronounce revert (audio)
: to undergo reversion
revertible adjective

Legal Definition

revert

intransitive verb
re·​vert ri-ˈvərt How to pronounce revert (audio)
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 estateW. M. McGovern, Jr. et al.
2
: to return to the grantor or his or her heirs as a reversion
revertible adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on revert

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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