What does relearn mean?
To relearn is to learn something again. The word usually suggests that a person once knew or studied something but has since forgotten it, lost regular practice, or needs to approach it with greater knowledge and skill. It is often used for practical abilities, such as relearning how to drive or play an instrument, and for academic or linguistic material, such as relearning a language. Relearning differs from simply reviewing because it can involve rebuilding an entire understanding rather than refreshing details that remain familiar. It can also carry a sense of perspective: a person may relearn a subject in order to approach it differently or gain a deeper understanding. In everyday conversation, the term conveys persistence, because relearning requires renewed effort and often starts from an earlier stage of mastery.
verbTo learn something again, especially after having forgotten it or no longer being familiar with it.
- To learn something again after forgetting it, losing familiarity with it, or acquiring more complete or refreshed knowledge of it.
"After years away from the instrument, she needed to relearn how to read music."
"He had to relearn French after years of speaking only English."
"The apprentice relearned the safety procedures before resuming work on the machinery."
Sometimes the fastest way to learn is to forget — and then relearn with experience on your side.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does relearn come from?
The word was formed in English by combining the prefix re-, meaning again, with learn. Learn ultimately comes from Old English leornian, a Germanic verb associated with acquiring knowledge or instruction. It is closely related to nouns and forms including lore, learned, and learning, which also reflect the idea of instruction, knowledge, or acquired understanding.
Related word forms
How relearn is actually used
The prefix re- is commonly unhyphenated in this word. The term often implies that the subject was previously familiar with the material but has since lost some or all of that knowledge.
Easily confused with relearn
To relearn something is to acquire or recover it again, whereas to unlearn something is to remove knowledge or habit that was previously acquired.