revertre‧vert /rɪˈvɜːt $ -ɜːrt/ ●○○ verb 
The city reverted to its former name of St Petersburg. After a few weeks, everything reverted to normal.2 formal to return to an earlier subject of conversation SYN go back to: To revert to the question of exams, I’d like to explain further.3law if land or a building reverts to its former owner, it becomes their property again
WORD ORIGINrevert
Origin:
1300-1400 Old French revertir, from Latin revertere ‘to turn back’, from vertere ‘to turn’VERB TABLE
revert
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | revert |
| he, she, it | reverts | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | reverted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have reverted |
| he, she, it | has reverted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had reverted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will revert |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have reverted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am reverting |
| he, she, it | is reverting | |
| you, we, they | are reverting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was reverting |
| you, we, they | were reverting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been reverting |
| he, she, it | has been reverting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been reverting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be reverting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been reverting |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- Bokassa was deposed by former President Dacko in September 1979, the country reverting to the status of republic.
- He may revert to an attendance allowance by further written notice.
- Leopold convinced the University to let the Curtis farm revert to prairie again.
- The pressure to revert to maximising leverage ratios and suppress local authority and community-led development would be intense.
- The simple solution is to revert to the multiple-dig method, since the next burrow may well not present the same problem.
- We are reverting to the existing practice.
- When all 15 Medway seats are removed next April, Kent will revert to its historic state of being Tory.
Longman Language Activatorto start doing something again
to start doing something again, especially something bad that you had decided not to do: · She's quit smoking four or five times, but she always starts again.start doing something again: · He started drinking again when he lost his job.start to do something again: · She attended school regularly for a while, then started to miss classes again.start that again: · "I didn't do it!" "Oh, don't start that again. I saw you."
to start behaving in a particular way again, after you had decided not to or when you are not supposed to; revert is more formal than go back to: · I went to a school where we had to speak French all the time, but outside school hours I reverted to English.· He's been in the hospital a couple of times, but he keeps going back to drinking. (=starts drinking alcohol again)go back to/revert to doing something: · Do you think she'll go back to using drugs?· We go home for Christmas and revert to being children again.
to gradually start doing something bad again after you had stopped, because you are not determined enough to prevent yourself from doing it: · Children will often slip back into babyish ways to get what they want.slip back into doing something: · to slip back into having a few drinks after work
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY After a few weeks, everything reverted to normal.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
revert to somebody/something phrasal verb1to change back to a situation that existed in the past SYN go back to: After a few weeks, everything reverted to normal.· League clubs yesterday gave their general approval to reverting back to a two-division competition.· Also, any changes the company has made in physicians' working conditions would revert back to practices before the election.· The Association has agreed to revert back to Management. 5.· Each time you relax, revert back to your own stance and feel the benefit of the comparison.· Middlesbrough race tomorrow night for the final week before reverting back to their usual Wednesday evening slot.
The city reverted to its former name of St Petersburg. After a few weeks, everything reverted to normal.2 formal to return to an earlier subject of conversation SYN go back to: To revert to the question of exams, I’d like to explain further.3law if land or a building reverts to its former owner, it becomes their property again