Standard Lemma guide

reuse

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ɹiːˈjuːs/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːs
  • /ɹiːˈjuːz/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uːz
  • CMU ARPABET: R IY0 Y UW1 S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R IY0 Y UW1 Z Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The act of salvaging or in some manner restoring a discarded item to yield something usable.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act of using again, or in another place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Code reuse can save programmers a lot of typing.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To use again something that is considered past its usefulness (usually for something else).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The students reused empty plastic bottles in their science experiment.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

To use again, or in another place.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

use again after processing

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We must recycle the cardboard boxes

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recycle, reprocess

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: use, utilize, utilise, apply, employ

Narrower terms: rehash, reclaim, recover

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re-bor. Middle English re- English re- English use English reuse From re- + use.

Across languages

Translations

49 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: вто́ра употре́ба (vtóra upotréba) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Chinese Cantonese: 用返 — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Chinese Mandarin: 重複使用 /重复使用 (chóngfù shǐyòng) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Danish: genanvendelse — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Danish: genbrug — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Finnish: uusiokäyttö — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Finnish: kierrätys — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Finnish: kierrättäminen — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • French: réemploi — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • French: réusage — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • French: réutilisation — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • German: Wiederverwendung — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Greek: επαναχρησιμοποίηση (epanachrisimopoíisi) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Hungarian: újrahasználat — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Hungarian: újrafelhasználás — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Hungarian: újbóli felhasználás — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Hungarian: újrahasznosítás — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Japanese: 再利用 (sairiyō) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Japanese: リユース (riyūsu) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Japanese: 再使用 (saishiyō) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Portuguese: reúso — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Russian: повто́рное испо́льзование (povtórnoje ispólʹzovanije) — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Spanish: reúso — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Spanish: reutilizar — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • Swedish: återanvändning — act of salvaging or restoring a discarded item to yield something usable
  • French: réemploi — act of using again or in another place
  • Norwegian Bokmål: gjenbruk — act of using again or in another place
  • Portuguese: reúso — act of using again or in another place
  • Basque: berrerabili — to use again
  • Bulgarian: използвам отново (izpolzvam otnovo) — to use again
  • Catalan: tornar a utilitzar — to use again
  • Catalan: reutilitzar — to use again
  • Danish: genanvende — to use again
  • Danish: genbruge — to use again
  • Dutch: herbruiken — to use again
  • Dutch: hergebruiken — to use again
  • Finnish: käyttää uudelleen — to use again
  • Finnish: kierrättää — to use again
  • French: réutiliser — to use again
  • German: wiederverwenden — to use again
  • Greek: επαναχρησιμοποιώ (epanachrisimopoió) — to use again
  • Hungarian: újrahasznosít — to use again
  • Portuguese: reusar — to use again
  • Russian: переиспо́льзовать (pereispólʹzovatʹ) — to use again
  • Spanish: reusar — to use again
  • Spanish: reutilizar — to use again
  • Swedish: återanvända — to use again
  • Vietnamese: tái sử dụng — to use again
  • Vietnamese: sử dụng lại — to use again
Real reading context

reuse in complete knowledge articles