What does retaking mean?
Retaking means taking or securing something again after it has been lost, surrendered, occupied, or temporarily relinquished. The word is especially associated with military campaigns and political crises, as when forces retake a city or a government retakes control of an institution, but it also has everyday uses involving recovering possession or repeating a failed attempt. Retaking carries a strong implication of reversal: the subject regains what it previously held rather than obtaining it for the first time. In figurative contexts, it can describe a team, person, or organization reclaiming a position or opportunity. The term is formed from retake, with -ing marking an ongoing or completed action, and its everyday meaning follows the straightforward literal sense of taking something once more.
To take, recover, or regain again, especially a place, position, possession, or control.
"The opposition attempted to retake the district from the occupying forces."
The present participle form is used for an action in progress or for an action viewed as happening or completed.
The act of taking or regaining something again.
"The retaking of the stronghold became the central objective of the campaign."
This gerund-derived noun use is less common than the verbal form and is especially frequent in reporting of military and political events.
Used for separate instances of taking or regaining something again.
"The film retellings were praised as imaginative retakings of an old story."
From military conflict to platform games, retaking turns the simple idea of “taking again” into a story of recovery and reversal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does retaking come from?
Retaking is formed from the verb retake, using the productive -ing suffix. Retake itself combines re-, meaning “again,” with take, so its development follows the standard English pattern of expressing repetition through the prefix re-. The base verb take is an old English word with Germanic origins, while re- was already established in English by the period when retake came into common use. The related noun retake and the agent noun retaker reflect the same verbal root.
Related word forms
How retaking is actually used
In its ordinary use, retaking most often describes recovering a place, position, possession, or control. It is common in news reporting and discussions of military or political conflict.
Easily confused with retaking
Retaking means taking something again, whereas retreating means withdrawing or moving back.