To retake means to take something again, especially a test, photograph, or piece of territory.

When you retake a math test, you're getting a second chance to show what you've learned after studying more. Many teachers allow retakes because they care more about whether you eventually master the material than about your first attempt. A photographer might retake a class photo if someone blinked or the lighting was wrong, trying again to get it just right.

The word also appears in military and historical contexts: an army might retake a fort that had been captured by enemies, or a country might retake territory it had lost in a war. This usage suggests reclaiming something that was previously yours.

As a noun, a retake is the second attempt itself. A director filming a movie might call for a retake of a scene if an actor forgot their lines or the camera angle wasn't quite right. Professional photographers often shoot dozens of retakes to capture that one perfect image.

The key idea is that you're not taking something for the first time, you're taking it again, usually because the first attempt didn't work out as hoped or because you want to improve on your initial result.