Resetar

Resetar is a verb used in Brazilian Portuguese that comes from the English to reset. It means to restore a device, program, or system to its default state or to reinitialize its operation. The term is common in information technology, consumer electronics, and online culture, and is often applied to actions such as restoring settings, clearing data, or rebooting a device. In many contexts it can imply a hard or factory reset, depending on the scope of restoration.

Etymology and regional variation: Resetar entered Brazilian Portuguese through English-speaking technology communities in the late 20th century. In Portugal and some other Portuguese-speaking regions, reiniciar (to restart) or restabelecer is more common in formal writing, though resetar is understood in IT jargon. Some style guides and purists favor using reiniciar in formal contexts, reserving resetar for informal speech or technical discourse.

Usage notes: Typical collocations include resetar a senha (reset the password), resetar o roteador, resetar o celular, or resetar as configurações. The distinction between reset and restart can be subtle in everyday speech; a reset may refer to returning to factory settings or simply reinitializing software, depending on context. Terms like reset de fábrica or restauração de fábrica describe complete device resets.

Conjugation and style: As a regular -ar verb, resetar follows standard conjugation patterns of -ar verbs. Its use reflects a broad adoption of anglicisms in colloquial IT language, alongside more formal alternatives such as reiniciar or restabelecer.