reimagine
To think about something in a completely new, different way.
Reimagine means to think about something in a completely new and different way, creating a fresh vision of what it could be. When you reimagine something, you start with what exists but aren't limited by it. You ask yourself: what if we changed this entirely? What would it look like if we started from scratch?
Architects might reimagine an old factory building as modern apartments with gardens. A director might reimagine a classic fairy tale by setting it in outer space or telling it from the villain's perspective. When a video game company reimagines a beloved old game, they keep what made it special but update everything else for modern players.
The word suggests both creativity and boldness. You're making deep changes that question basic assumptions and envision something fundamentally different. A student might reimagine their messy desk as an organized workspace. A city might reimagine a parking lot as a community park.
Reimagine is different from simply imagine. When you imagine, you create something new. When you reimagine, you take something that already exists and transform it into something else, often something better or more interesting than before.