Standard Lemma guide

revert

noun · verb · 23 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.

  • General-American: rə-vûrtʹ
  • General-American: rĭ-vûrtʹ
  • General-American: rē-vûrtʹ
  • General-American: /ɹɪˈvɝt/
  • General-American: /ɹiˈvɝt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈvɜːt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: rēʹvûrt'
  • General-American: /ˈɹiˌvɝt/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈɹiːˌvɜːt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)t
  • rhymes with -iːvɜː(ɹ)t
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 V ER1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: R IY0 V ER1 T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One who, or that which, reverts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who reverts to that religion which one had adhered to before having converted to another.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A convert to Islam.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: ideologically loaded; due to the belief that all people are born Muslim; ideologically loaded; due to the belief that all people are born Muslim

Topics: Islam, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of reversion (of e.g. a database transaction or source control repository) to an earlier state.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • We've found that git reverts are at least an order of magnitude faster than SVN reverse merges.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The skateboard maneuver of rotating the board 180 degrees or more while the wheels remain on the ground.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To turn back, or turn to the contrary; to reverse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To throw back; to reflect; to reverberate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To cause to return to a former condition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: restore, roll back

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To reverse (a change).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: undo

Antonyms: none provided

10

verb

Meaning 10

To reverse a change made by (a person).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

verb

Meaning 11

To return to the possession of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • When a book goes out of print, rights revert from the publisher to the author.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

verb

Meaning 12

To return to the possession of.

Of an estate: To return to its former owner, or to his or her heirs, when a grant comes to an end.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: law

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To cause (a property or rights) to return to the previous owner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • Sometimes a publisher will automatically revert rights back to an author once a book has gone out of print.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: give back, restore, reinstate, render, return, revest, surrender

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To return to a former practice, condition, belief, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To return to an earlier or primitive type or state; to take on the traits or characters of an ancestral type.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

16

verb

Meaning 16

To change back, as from a soluble to an insoluble state or the reverse.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Examples

  • Phosphoric acid in certain fertilizers reverts.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

17

verb

Meaning 17

To take up again or return to a previous topic.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hark back

Antonyms: none provided

18

verb

Meaning 18

To return; to come back.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, intransitive

Examples

  • If they attack, we will revert to the bunker.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

19

verb

Meaning 19

To convert to Islam.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: Islam, lifestyle, religion

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

20

verb

Meaning 20

To reply (to correspondence, etc.).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Qualifier: now global

Examples

  • Please revert before Monday.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: revert back

Antonyms: none provided

21

verb

Meaning 21

To treat (a series, such as y=a+bx+cx2+⋯, where one variable y is expressed in powers of a second variable x), so as to find the second variable x expressed in a series arranged in powers of y.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

22

verb

Meaning 22

undergo reversion, as in a mutation

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: mutate

23

verb

Meaning 23

go back to a previous state

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • We reverted to the old rules

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: return, retrovert, regress, turn back

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: change by reversal, turn, reverse

Narrower terms: relapse, lapse, recidivate, regress, retrogress, fall back, resile, recover, go back, recuperate

History

Etymology

From Old French revertir, from Vulgar Latin *revertiō, variant of Latin revertō.

Across languages

Translations

72 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kääntyjä — one who reverts
  • Finnish: palaaja — one who reverts
  • Finnish: käännynnäinen — one who reverts
  • Italian: convertito — one who reverts
  • Finnish: palaaja — Islamic usage: convert to Islam
  • Portuguese: revertido — Islamic usage: convert to Islam
  • Portuguese: revertida — Islamic usage: convert to Islam
  • Bulgarian: обръщам (obrǎštam) — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Finnish: kääntää päinvastaiseksi — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • French: retomber — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • French: retourner — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • French: redevenir — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • German: rückgängig machen — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Greek: επαναφέρω (epanaféro) — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Italian: ritornare — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Italian: retrocedere — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Italian: ribaltare — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Italian: invertire — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Occitan: tornar — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Occitan: retornar — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Spanish: revertir — to turn back, or to the contrary; to reverse
  • Bulgarian: връщам (vrǎštam) — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Bulgarian: отразявам (otrazjavam) — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Finnish: palauttaa — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • French: renvoyer — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • French: réverbérer — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • French: refléter — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Italian: ripensare — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Italian: riflettere — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Italian: ripercuotere — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Italian: ripercuotersi — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Occitan: reflectir — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Occitan: remandar — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Occitan: tornar — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Occitan: reverberar — to throw back; to reflect; to reverberate
  • Bulgarian: връщам (vrǎštam) — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Finnish: palauttaa — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Italian: ripristinare — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Italian: riallacciare — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Italian: regredire — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Occitan: retornar — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Occitan: tornar — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Occitan: rendre — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Portuguese: reverter — to cause to return to a former condition
  • Bulgarian: връщам се (vrǎštam se) — to return; to come back
  • Finnish: perääntyä — to return; to come back
  • Finnish: palata — to return; to come back
  • Italian: tornare — to return; to come back
  • Italian: ritornare — to return; to come back
  • Occitan: tornar — to return; to come back
  • Occitan: retornar — to return; to come back
  • Polish: powrócić — to return; to come back
  • Bulgarian: взимам обратно (vzimam obratno) — to return to the possession of
  • Finnish: palata — to return to the possession of
  • Finnish: palautua — to return to the possession of
  • Occitan: tornar — to return to the possession of
  • Occitan: retornar — to return to the possession of
  • Bulgarian: връщам (vrǎštam) — to cause to return to the previous owner
  • Finnish: palauttaa — to cause to return to the previous owner
  • Finnish: palata — to return to a former practice, condition, belief, etc.
  • Italian: riprendere — to return to a former practice, condition, belief, etc.
  • Finnish: taantua — biology: to return to an earlier or primitive type or state
  • Finnish: palata — biology: to return to an earlier or primitive type or state
  • Italian: ripristinare — biology: to return to an earlier or primitive type or state
  • Italian: regredire — biology: to return to an earlier or primitive type or state
  • Spanish: revertir — biology: to return to an earlier or primitive type or state
  • Finnish: palautua — to change back, as from a soluble to an insoluble state or the reverse
  • Finnish: palata — to return to a previous subject of discourse or thought
  • Finnish: palata — Muslim usage: to convert to Islam
  • Portuguese: reverter — Muslim usage: to convert to Islam
  • Bulgarian: отговарям (otgovarjam) — to reply
  • Finnish: palata — to reply