Other forms: redefined, redefining, redefines
To redefine something is to give it a new meaning or a new shape. The word or the category changes.
The literal sense is about definitions, so redefining a term in a contract changes what it covers, and disputes often turn on exactly that. The commoner use is about achievement, since a performance that redefines a sport has changed what people think is possible, and that is high praise. It has become slightly worn from marketing overuse. The noun is redefinition, and the plain verb is define.
Latin
dēfīniō — limit, settle, define
Old French
definer
Middle English
definen
English
define
English, today
redefine
Built from
From re- + define. define comes from Middle English definen, from Old French definer, variant of definir, from Latin dēfīniō (“limit, settle, define”), from dē + fīniō (“set a limit, bound, end”).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA