revert

[ri-vurt] /rɪˈvɜrt/
verb (used without object)
1.
to return to a former habit, practice, belief, condition, etc.:
They reverted to the ways of their forefathers.
2.
Law. to go back to or return to the former owner or to his or her heirs.
3.
Biology. to return to an earlier or primitive type.
4.
to go back in thought or discussion:
He constantly reverted to his childhood.
noun
5.
a person or thing that reverts.
6.
Law. a reversion.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English reverten (< Old French revertir) < Latin revertere to turn back, equivalent to re- re- + vertere to turn; see verse
Related forms
revertible, adjective
revertibility, noun
revertive, adjective
revertively, adverb
nonrevertible, adjective
nonrevertive, adjective
unreverted, adjective
unrevertible, adjective
unreverting, adjective
Synonyms
1, 3. retrogress.
Examples from the web for revert
  • But when things become psychologically too bewildering or frustrating for him, he may revert to spontaneous play.
  • And it only follows that humanity will revert to a subsistence agrarian society within the confines of their own homes.
  • Genetically engineered organisms can revert to wild type, losing the expensively implanted genes.
  • The primary stream was continuous and the volunteers had to revert back to it every time they finished a secondary triplet.
  • When you get to your destination, turn in the generator at the local rent-all and revert to home plug-in charging methods.
  • In an unfamiliar dessert landscape, you are likely to panic or revert to inappropriate habits unless trained otherwise.
  • The remnants mutate, lapse into feudalism, or revert to prehistoric brutality.
  • Sylvester has practice squad eligibility and will likely revert there.
  • Profit margins tend to revert to the mean over the long term, in part because high returns attract new market entrants.
  • Consumers are unlikely to revert to the more expensive version if they are offered a similar product for less.
British Dictionary definitions for revert

revert

verb (rɪˈvɜːt) (intransitive) foll by to
1.
to go back to a former practice, condition, belief, etc: she reverted to her old wicked ways
2.
to take up again or come back to a former topic
3.
(biology) (of individuals, organs, etc) to return to a more primitive, earlier, or simpler condition or type
4.
(US) to reply to someone: we will revert to you with pricing and other details
5.
(property law) (of an estate or interest in land) to return to its former owner or his heirs when a grant, esp a grant for the lifetime of the grantee, comes to an end
6.
revert to type, to resume characteristics that were thought to have disappeared
noun (ˈriːˌvɜːt)
7.
a person who, having been converted, has returned to his former beliefs or Church
Derived Forms
reverter, noun
revertible, adjective
Usage note
Since back is part of the meaning of revert, one should not say that someone reverts back to a certain type of behaviour
Word Origin
C13: from Latin revertere to return, from re- + vertere to turn
Word Origin and History for revert
v.

c.1300, "to come to oneself again," from Old French revertir "return, change back," from Vulgar Latin *revertire, variant of Latin revertere "turn back, turn about; come back, return," from re- "back" (see re-) + vertere "to turn" (see versus). Of position or property from mid-15c.; application to customs and ideas is from 1610s.

revert in Medicine

revert re·vert (rĭ-vûrt')
v. re·vert·ed, re·vert·ing, re·verts

  1. To return to a former condition, practice, subject, or belief.

  2. To undergo genetic reversion.