Reverse

/rɪˈvɜrs/

Meaning & Definition

noun

the opposite or contrary of something.

In this debate, the reverse of their argument is also plausible.

a change to a poorer condition or a decline.

The company faced a reverse in profits this quarter.

verb

to change something to its opposite or to move something backward.

The engineer had to reverse the decision after realizing the mistakes in the original plan.

to go in the opposite direction.

She had to reverse the car out of the driveway.

to cause something to return to its previous state.

They are trying to reverse the effects of climate change.

adjective

situated or moving backward.

The reverse gear is used to drive the car backward.

opposite in position or direction.

The reverse side of the document contained additional information.

Middle English, from Old French 'reverser' meaning to turn back

reverse psychology

a technique involving the advocacy of a belief or behavior that is opposite to the desired outcome to encourage the desired behavior.

reverse engineering

the process of deconstructing a product or software to understand its workings and replicate it.

reverse gear

a mechanism in a vehicle that allows it to move backward.

invert

to turn something upside down or inside out

reversion

the act of returning to a previous state

inverse

something that is opposite to another thing

to take back a statement or decision

I had to reverse my claim after realizing I was wrong.

to change one's position or opinion

After hearing the new evidence, he reversed his stance on the issue.