rearrangement

noun

re·​ar·​range·​ment ˌrē-ə-ˈrānj-mənt How to pronounce rearrangement (audio)
plural rearrangements
1
: the act of rearranging something or someone or the state of being rearranged
rearrangement of the furniture
changes that will require some rearrangement of the schedule
… lifting her hands for some rearrangement of her hat.—Henry James
2
chemistry : a shifting of the atoms or groups in the molecule of a compound to form an isomeric compound

Examples of rearrangement in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, the force and shock of the hypersonic impact drive an instant atomic rearrangement. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026 By spreading stress via polymer chain rearrangement instead of allowing polymer bonds to break, the DNGEs continually reduce the risk of sudden snapping or fatigue-degradation. — New Atlas, 12 Aug. 2026 Some emerge anonymously, like a wall filled with self-portraits left behind by students at the end of the semester at the college where Aguilar teaches; their enhanced interest arises from accumulation and rearrangement. — Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 5 Aug. 2026 Blended genome exome sequencing captures the same broad range of information as deep whole-genome sequencing, including rare protein-changing mutations, common variants and structural rearrangements. — William A. Haseltine, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rearrangement

Word History

First Known Use

1778, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rearrangement was in 1778

Rhymes for rearrangement

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Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Rearrangement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rearrangement. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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