To retype means to type something again, usually to correct mistakes or create a fresh copy. Before computers made editing easy, if you made an error while typing a letter or report on a typewriter, you often had to retype the entire page from scratch. One smudge or typo could mean starting over completely.

Today, word processors let us fix mistakes with a quick backspace, but sometimes you still need to retype. You might retype a paragraph because the first version sounds awkward, or retype notes from a crumpled paper so they're neat and readable. If a document gets corrupted or accidentally deleted, you might have to retype the whole thing from memory or from a printed copy.

The prefix re- means “again,” so retyping is simply typing again. Writers sometimes retype passages even when there are no errors, finding that the act of typing fresh sentences helps them think more clearly or notice problems they missed before.