rethink

verb, noun — 2 senses

rethink

verb

/ɹiːˈθɪŋk/ · [ɹʷɪi̯ˈθɪŋk]

Etymology From re- + think.

1

To think again about something, with the intention of changing or replacing it.

  • Disability rights advocates are encouraging people to rethink the words "crazy" and "insane" as they stigmatize mental health.
  • There's a myth that incest survivors are an extremely small percentage of the gay male community. But that belief is something that needs to be rethought. One in six men (gay and straight) polled in a 1985 Los Angeles Times survey reported being sexually abused before the age of 18.1991 December 8, Liz Galst, “Gay Male Incest Survivors, Safer Sex, and AIDS”, in Gay Community News, volume 19, number 21, page 8:
1 more example
  • But the NCC has been forced to rethink its approach and has already extended the deadline three times, at short notice.2021 February 10, Eoin McSweeney, “As Covid-19 cases rise in Nigeria, a government policy is creating crowds and chaos”, in CNN:
Derived terms
rethinkable, rethinker

rethink

noun

/ˈɹiːθɪŋk/ · [ˈɹʷɪi̯θɪŋk]

Etymology From re- + think.

1

The act of thinking again about something.

  • This business plan of yours looks risky. It needs a rethink.
  • Guardiola needed a rethink and his hand was forced when De Bruyne was forced off in the 58th minute after a check by Rüdiger.2021 May 29, David Hytner, “Chelsea win Champions League after Kai Havertz stuns Manchester City”, in The Guardian:
1 more example
  • There was a complete rethink in 2020, following a review into why costs rose by £100 million in the space of a year.2022 September 21, Howard Johnston, “Network News: HS2's Interchange station to create 1,000 extra jobs”, in RAIL, number 966, page 16:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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