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

Cobb, who also is also recovering from offseason hip surgery, threw a bullpen session earlier in the week, but will revert back to simply throwing from flat ground. —Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024

The company also scrambled to finish up its remake a day before the copyright was set to revert, the lawsuit said, using AI to replicate actors’ voices because of the then-ongoing SAG-AFTRA union strike. —Cmo, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

But that’s part of the point, to revert back to a previous age of motoring with a more engaging vehicle and fewer digital distractions. —Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2024

Frisky, reverting back to seven-year-old logic, decides to run away from her problems, and Chilli and the girls spend much of the episode chasing after her. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024

During this, a medusa jellyfish will revert back to its polyp stage, according to American Museum of Natural History. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 30 Mar. 2024

Hopefully, the devs will realise this was a big mistake and revert the recoil changes introduced with the 14.1 patch earlier today. —Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024

The bishop urged the school to change course and revert back to its original policy. —Jeremiah Poff, Washington Examiner, 21 Dec. 2023

If that’s the case, everything will probably revert back to normal, as that group has gone 14-5 since Jan. 30 — the best record in the NBA in that span. —Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 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