What does reprogram mean?
Reprogram means to change the instructions or established pattern of a computer, device, system, or person. In technical contexts, it refers to writing new code or changing the configuration of a machine so that it performs differently, often to correct a fault, add a feature, or respond to new conditions. The verb can also describe psychological and behavioral change: a person may reprogram a habit, mindset, or reaction through deliberate practice, therapy, or new experiences. Its figurative use suggests that a situation is not permanently fixed and can be deliberately reorganized. The prefix re- indicates that something already programmed is being programmed again, though in figurative contexts it can simply emphasize a substantial change to an existing pattern. Reprogamming is especially associated with computing but is also common in contemporary language about personal development and organizational transformation.
To program or alter the instructions in a computer, device, or system again.
"The user reprogrammed the controller to run more efficiently."
Common in technical and engineering contexts; it may be transitive or used without an object.
To change a person’s habitual behavior, thought patterns, or responses.
"Meditation helped him reprogram his response to stress."
This figurative use is idiomatic and common in popular psychology and self-help contexts.
From changing a machine’s instructions to changing the instructions of a mind or organization, reprogramming shows that systems can be revised rather than permanently fixed.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reprogram come from?
Reprogram is formed by the prefix re-, meaning “again,” and program, a word that entered English from French and ultimately derives from Greek prōgramma, “public notice” or “written proclamation.” The verb originally referred to arranging or setting out a program or schedule, and later acquired the meaning of giving instructions to a machine. The prefixed form developed in the context of computing to describe replacing or altering existing instructions.
Related word forms
How reprogram is actually used
The word is most commonly transitive, taking a device, system, or person as its object. Figurative uses are idiomatic and especially common in discussions of habits, minds, organizations, and careers. In British English, the related noun is usually “programming,” while “reprogram” remains the standard verb.
Easily confused with reprogram
A program is a set of instructions or an organized activity, whereas reprogram means to alter instructions or a planned course of action.