retrofit

Syllables: re·tro·fit/ˌɹɛtɹəʊˈfɪt/US/ˌɹɛtɹoʊˈfɪt/

retrofit verb: to supply (a device, structure, etc.) with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; to modernize.

Verb

retrofit (third-person singular simple present retrofits, present participle retrofitting, simple past and past participle retrofitted)

(transitive) To supply (a device, structure, etc.) with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; to modernize.
- Trams dating from 2012 have been retro-fitted with lithium batteries, with the conversions starting in 2018.2020 January 2, Richard Clinnick, “Midlands Metro Welcomes New Catenary-free Trams”, in Rail, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 16
- The project involves retrofitting Google’s Pixel smartphones to certain subway cars to collect sounds and other data and feed it into Google’s Cloud. […] When asked why the devices were retrofitted on older models instead of newer ones, Sarno said the MTA typically uses older car models when making...2025 March 9, Nic F. Anderson, “Tired of subway delays? The MTA wants to fix that by strapping Google smartphones to New York trains”, in CNN
Synonyms:

backfit
(transitive) To add or substitute (new components or parts) that were not previously available for or installed in a device, structure, etc.

Synonyms:

backfit
(transitive) Synonym of backport (“to retroactively supply a fix or feature to a previous version of a software product at the same time or after supplying it to the current version.”).
- The bug was so bad that we had to retrofit our patch to the last three releases, as well as the newest release.
Synonyms:

backport
(figuratively, transitive) To give new characteristics or make alterations (to someone or something) to suit them to changed circumstances.
(intransitive) To supply a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed.

Noun

retrofit (plural retrofits)

An act of supplying a device, structure, etc., with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; a retrofitting.
A change made to a device, structure, etc., by introducing components or parts that were not previously available or installed.

retrofit meaning in Kannada

retrofit in Kannada

ಮತ್ತೆ ಮಾರ್ಪಡಿಸು, ಮರುಮಾರ್ಪಾಟು ಮಾಡು, ಮರುಸುಧಾರಣೆ ಮಾಡು

Synonyms of retrofit

Forms of retrofit

Verb
third-person singular present	retrofits
present participle	retrofitting
past participle	retrofitted
past	retrofitted
Noun
plural	retrofits

Past tense of retrofit: retrofitted

Origin of retrofit

The verb is derived from retro- (prefix meaning ‘back; backward’) + fit (“to equip, supply”). The noun, which is first attested later than the verb, is either derived: * from the verb (see above); or * from retro- + fit (“act of fitting; conformity of elements one to another”).

Words formed from retrofit

Questions about retrofit

What does retrofit mean?: Retrofit means to supply (a device, structure, etc.) with new components or parts that were not previously available or installed; to modernize.
What is retrofit in Kannada?: Retrofit in Kannada is ಮತ್ತೆ ಮಾರ್ಪಡಿಸು, ಮರುಮಾರ್ಪಾಟು ಮಾಡು, ಮರುಸುಧಾರಣೆ ಮಾಡು. See Retrofit meaning in Kannada.
What part of speech is retrofit?: Retrofit can be a verb or a noun.
How do you pronounce retrofit?: Retrofit is pronounced /ˌɹɛtɹəʊˈfɪt/ (UK).
What is the past tense of retrofit?: The past tense of retrofit is retrofitted.

Words near retrofit in the dictionary

Adapted from Wiktionary: retrofit (page history and authors); retrofit (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-retrofit.wav.

Cite this entry: “retrofit.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/retrofit. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.