Rewritten

Rewritten is the past participle of the verb rewrite. It describes something that has been revised or transformed through rewriting. The word combines the prefix re- meaning again with write, with the past participle suffix -en, yielding rewritten.

Usage: In writing and editing, a rewritten draft has undergone substantial changes in content, organization, or style. Rewriting can address clarity, accuracy, bias, or tone. It may involve rephrasing sentences, restructuring paragraphs, removing redundancies, or adding new information. The term is commonly used in journalism, publishing, academia, and content creation. It is distinct from editing, which tends to imply more mechanical corrections, whereas rewriting often implies more substantial changes.

Examples: The editor asked the author to submit a rewritten version that better supports the argument. A website's terms of service were rewritten to comply with the new regulations. In software, the term can describe code that has been rewritten to improve efficiency or readability, though "refactoring" is also used.

In copyright and licensing contexts, a rewritten work may be considered a derivative work if it borrows substantial elements from the source. Ownership and permissions depend on the original rights holder and jurisdiction.

Etymology: The word comes from the combination of re- (again) and write; the past participle form is rewritten.

See also: rewrite, revision, paraphrase, redraft, editing, derivative work.