rename
verb · noun
Simple meaning
Assign a new name to.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
reenaymSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ɹiˈneɪm
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
verb
Assign a new name to
“Many streets in the former East Germany were renamed in 1990.”
transitive
To give a new name to.
noun
An instance of renaming.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Frequency
- Moderately Common
- Typical Use
- Neutral / general English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Assign a new name to
Used this way, rename is a common word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
“Many streets in the former East Germany were renamed in 1990.”
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Usage note
It most often appears in the pattern “rename in …”, which is worth copying when you use it.
Natural pattern: rename in …
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use rename
- “Many streets in the former East Germany were renamed in 1990.”verb
- “He was renamed Minister of the Interior.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.