rewrite

Language: en

1. 🇬🇧 /ˈriː.raɪt/ 🇺🇸 /ˈriː.raɪt/
2. 🇬🇧 /ˌriːˈraɪt/ 🇺🇸 /ˌriːˈraɪt/

📖 Definitions

  1. verb
    To write again or differently; to alter or revise a piece of writing.; To alter or modify something significantly, often in a way that changes its meaning or interpretation.; In computing, to transform or convert data or code from one form to another.; To record again over previously recorded material, as on a tape or disc.
  2. noun
    A revised or new version of a piece of writing; the act or result of rewriting.; In journalism, a news story that has been revised and reworked for a later edition.

🔗 Details

Word forms

countable Plural: rewrites 3rd sing.: rewrites Past: rewrote Past part.: rewritten Pres part.: rewriting

Collocations

rewrite historyrewrite the rulesrewrite the scriptdo a rewriterewrite the narrativefirst rewrite

Derivatives

rewriterrewritable

Synonyms

revisereworkredraftrewordrecast

Commonly confused

revise
EN: 'Revise' implies improving or correcting existing content, while 'rewrite' suggests starting over or substantially reworking from scratch.
reword
EN: 'Reword' means changing the phrasing while keeping the same meaning; 'rewrite' can involve changing both form and content.

Spelling tips

EN: The past tense is 'rewrote' (not 'rewrited') and the past participle is 'rewritten' (not 'rewrote' or 'rewriten'), following the irregular pattern of 'write'.

💬 Examples

  1. The author had to rewrite the final chapter after receiving feedback from the editor.

  2. Critics accused the government of trying to rewrite history to suit its political agenda.

  3. The compiler rewrites the source code into machine-readable instructions.

  4. She decided to rewrite the old cassette tape with new music.

  5. The third rewrite of the screenplay was finally approved by the studio.

  6. The rewrite desk was busy updating stories for the evening edition.