recreate

Everyday

1. To make something again so that it is like it was before. tree →
2. To copy or act out a past event, scene or picture. tree →
3. (less common, pronounced «REK-ree-ate») To relax and enjoy yourself; this sense is usually spelt «re-create» the other way round, so see notes. tree →

In the lessons

In history lessons classes recreate old houses, meals or battles to understand the past. In science you recreate an experiment to check that the result was right. In art you can recreate a famous painting. In stories it means bringing back something lost. Phrases: «recreate a scene», «recreate the experiment», «recreate from memory».

Examples

• We recreated a Roman kitchen in the classroom. tree →
• Can you recreate the drawing from memory? tree →
• Scientists recreated the experiment and got the same result. tree →
• The film recreates life in a Victorian school. tree →
• I lost my password list and had to recreate it. tree →
• Let's recreate the photo we took when we were little. tree →
• The museum recreated a dinosaur skeleton from bones and casts. tree →

Note

Regular verb: recreated. Pronounced «ree-kree-ATE» for «make again». Related noun: «recreation», which usually means fun and free time (pronounced «rek-ree-AY-shun»), not «making again» — a common trap. In science, recreating an experiment is how results are checked.