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 proprietor or his or her heirs at the end of a reversion

3

: to return to an ancestral type

reverter noun

revertible

ri-ˈvər-tə-bəl 

adjective

Synonyms

• regress
• retrogress
• 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

Management and organizations are reverting back to pre-COVID business norms, where leaders can interact face-to-face with their teams rather than through a monitor. —Julian Hayes Ii, Forbes, 22 Sep. 2024

Photograph: Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images As the Pacific Ocean is now likely to revert toward La Niña conditions, global temperatures will continue to ease back but probably not to the levels seen prior to 2023–24. —Christopher Merchant, WIRED, 17 Aug. 2024

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) adopted the court's ruling and reverted Chiles' score back to the original—13.666—since the inquiry was submitted too late, and reordered the rankings once again. —Alice Park / Paris, TIME, 10 Aug. 2024

That change has been reverted, and Microsoft was seeing signs of improvement. —Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 12 Sep. 2024

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

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