REVERTING

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does reverting mean? 

• REVERTING (noun)
  The noun REVERTING has 1 sense:

1. a failure to maintain a higher state

  Familiarity information: REVERTING used as a noun is very rare.

• REVERTING (adjective)
  The adjective REVERTING has 1 sense:

1. tending to return to an earlier state

  Familiarity information: REVERTING used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REVERTING (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A failure to maintain a higher state

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

backsliding; lapse; lapsing; relapse; relapsing; reversion; reverting

Hypernyms ("reverting" is a kind of...):

failure (an act that fails)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "reverting"):

recidivism (habitual relapse into crime)

Derivation:

revert (go back to a previous state)

• REVERTING (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Tending to return to an earlier state

Synonyms:

returning; reverting

Similar:

regressive (opposing progress; returning to a former less advanced state)

 Context examples 

After many pauses and many trials of other subjects, Elizabeth could not help reverting once more to the first, and saying: I am astonished at his intimacy with Mr. Bingley!

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Catherine, in some amazement, complied, and after remaining a few moments silent, was on the point of reverting to what interested her at that time rather more than anything else in the world, Laurentina's skeleton, when her friend prevented her, by saying, For heaven's sake!

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)