rearrange
UK[ˌriːəˈreɪndʒ]US[ˌriːəˈreɪndʒ]
v
to change the position or order of things
v
to organize something in a different way
Morpheme Breakdown
re
arrange
re
again
arrange
put in order
Etymology
The word 'rearrange' is a relatively modern English formation, built upon the existing verb 'arrange'. The prefix 're-', derived from Latin, carries its core meaning of 'again', indicating repetition. The base 'arrange' entered English from Old French 'arengier', which itself evolved from the Vulgar Latin 'arredare', meaning to put in order, ultimately tracing back to a Germanic root. Therefore, 'rearrange' logically combines these elements to mean 'to put in order again', perfectly capturing its modern sense of changing the existing order or organization of items.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + arrange (put in order)
re- (Latin prefix, meaning 'again' or 'back'); arrange (from Old French 'arengier', meaning 'to put in order', functional role as the base verb).
Examples
I need to rearrange the furniture to make more space.
The editor asked the writer to rearrange the paragraphs for better flow.
Can we rearrange our meeting for next week?