reuse

IPA/ˌriːˈjuːz/
KK[rijˈus]IPA/ˌriːˈjuːz/

reuse — verb

  • reusepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • reuseshe / she / it
  • reusedpast simple
  • reusing-ing form

1. to make use of something a second time or for a different purpose rather than ge

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to make use of something a second time or for a different purpose rather than getting rid of it. For example, washing a glass jar and storing rice in it instead of throwing the jar away.

Example

Yael always reuses glass jars as containers for storing dry food in her kitchen.

reuse + everyday objects (jars, containers)

The school launched a program to reuse old textbooks instead of buying new ones.

Common collocations
  • reuse materials
  • reuse containers
  • reuse water
  • reuse resources
  • reuse packaging
Synonyms
  • repurpose

    stronger emphasis on finding a new function rather than the same function

  • recycle

    related but distinct — involves processing and remaking materials, not direct reuse

Antonyms
  • discard

    to throw something away instead of using it again

  • dispose of

    to get rid of something, often as waste

Grammar Patterns

reuse + noun phrase

Usage Note

The object is typically a physical item such as a container, bag, piece of clothing, or building material. This sense is especially common in environmental and sustainability contexts.

Common Mistakes

Please reuse this plastic bottle by throwing it in the recycling bin.
Please recycle that plastic bottle. Reuse means using it again as-is, like refilling it with water.
'reuse' means using the item again without processing; 'recycle' means breaking it down to make new materials.
She reused the meeting.
She rescheduled the meeting.
'reuse' applies to physical objects or materials, not events or appointments.

reuse — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Reuse, recycle, repurpose, and reclaim all deal with items that have already served one function, but each means something different. Reuse means using the item again in its current form — washing a glass jar and filling it with flour, for example. Recycle means breaking the item down into raw materials to manufacture new products, such as melting glass bottles to make new ones. Repurpose means adapting an item for a completely different function than its original one, like turning an old ladder into a bookshelf. Reclaim is more technical and usually refers to recovering useful materials from waste, such as reclaiming metal from discarded electronics. In everyday language, reuse is the broadest and most common term, especially in environmental discussions.

recycle ↗repurposereclaim ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • reuse and recycle
  • reduce reuse recycle
  • for reuse purposes

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'reuse' is formed from the prefix 're-' (meaning 'again' or 'back') and the verb 'use,' which comes from Latin 'uti' meaning 'to make use of.' The word entered English through Old French 'user.' While 'use' has been in English since the 1200s, the combined form 'reuse' became common during the 20th century as environmental awareness grew, and it is now especially associated with the 'reduce, reuse, recycle' waste-reduction slogan.