reinvention
UK[ˌriːɪnˈvɛnʃən]US[ˌriːɪnˈvɛnʃən]
n
The action or process of inventing something again or in a new way.
n
An instance of this; something that has been reinvented.
Morpheme Breakdown
re
invent
ion
re
again
invent
create
ion
action/state
Etymology
The word 'reinvention' is a modern English formation built upon the classical Latin verb 'invenire', meaning "to come upon, find, discover". This verb itself is composed of 'in-' (into, upon) and 'venire' (to come), suggesting the concept of "coming upon" an idea. The prefix 're-', also from Latin, adds the sense of "again" or "anew". The suffix '-ion' converts the action into a noun. Thus, the literal morphemic logic is "the action (ion) of creating (invent) again (re)", which perfectly captures the modern abstract meaning of remaking or significantly transforming something, especially oneself or an institution.
Analysis
Structure: re (again) + invent (create) + ion (action/state)
- re: Latin origin, a prefix meaning "again" or "back".
- invent: Latin origin, from 'invenire' meaning "to come upon, discover, devise". In this word, it functions as the core verb root meaning "to create or devise".
- ion: Latin origin, a suffix forming nouns denoting an action or its result.
Examples
The company's successful turnaround was credited to a complete reinvention of its brand.
Her move to a new country marked a personal reinvention.
Technological reinvention is a constant in the software industry.