reconceptualize

verb

re·​con·​cep·​tu·​al·​ize (ˌ)rē-kən-ˈsep-chə-wə-ˌlīz How to pronounce reconceptualize (audio)
-chü-ə-,
-chə-ˌlīz,
-shwə-ˌlīz
reconceptualized; reconceptualizing; reconceptualizes

transitive verb

: to conceptualize in a new or different way
Once you start reconceptualizing your company as a collection of business processes, it becomes dauntingly clear that those processes extend beyond the portals of any one building, the boundaries of any one corporation, and the borders of any one country. Ronald Henkoff
The argument for tortoise conservation has been strengthened by reconceptualizing giant tortoises as agents whose actions shape the ecosystems around them. James P. Gibbs
reconceptualization noun
Many jobs are gone forever. This will eventually force us to confront matters such as a guaranteed universal income, or a complete reconceptualization of what we consider "work" for which one is entitled to a wage. Rex J. Zedalis

Examples of reconceptualize in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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What gives me pause is the question of why Brooker would radically reconceptualize a series whose premise has exceeded its expiration date, instead of just moving on to a fresh idea. Time, 16 June 2023 In a sense, Black people, whose past has been deliberately erased, are embracing Afrofuturism as a means to reconceptualize their history and a tool for speculating on a more fruitful future. Shantay Robinson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reconceptualize was in 1903

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Cite this Entry

“Reconceptualize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reconceptualize. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.

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