retarget: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical, Business
Quick answer
What does “retarget” mean?
To change the target or goal of something, especially in business, marketing, or computing.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To change the target or goal of something, especially in business, marketing, or computing.
In marketing, to aim advertising at a different audience; in computing, to make software compatible with a different hardware/software platform; in military/gaming, to redirect a weapon or system towards a new target.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in definition. Spelling remains the same. Usage frequency may be slightly higher in American tech/business contexts.
Connotations
Neutral and functional in both varieties.
Frequency
More frequent in US English due to the prominence of its tech and marketing industries, but widely understood and used in UK English.
Grammar
How to Use “retarget” in a Sentence
Subject + retarget + Object (e.g., We retargeted the ads)Subject + retarget + Object + at/on/towards + new target (e.g., They retargeted the campaign at younger users)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “retarget” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The team decided to retarget the online campaign based on the new analytics.
- We must retarget our subsidies to help the most vulnerable.
- The developer retargeted the library for use on mobile devices.
American English
- We're going to retarget our ads to a more qualified audience.
- The company retargeted its R&D funds toward renewable energy.
- The software can be easily retargeted for different processors.
adverb
British English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
American English
- Not commonly used as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The retargeted campaign performed much better.
- A retargetable compiler is essential for cross-platform development.
American English
- The retargeted ads led to a higher conversion rate.
- They used a retargetable software development kit.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
We need to retarget our marketing budget towards the Asian market.
Academic
The study suggests retargeting policy interventions to address root causes.
Everyday
After the project failed, we had to retarget our efforts.
Technical
The compiler can retarget the code for the ARM architecture.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “retarget”
- Using it intransitively (e.g., 'The campaign retargeted' is incomplete; it needs an object or prepositional phrase).
- Spelling as 're-target' (hyphen is less common in modern usage).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It became common in the late 20th century with the rise of digital marketing and cross-platform software development.
It's primarily a technical/business term. In everyday talk, simpler words like 'redirect' or 'refocus' are more common.
The most common noun form is 'retargeting' (e.g., 'ad retargeting').
Yes. 'Redirect' is more general (change direction). 'Retarget' implies a specific, often strategic, change of a defined goal or audience, especially in business/marketing/tech contexts.
To change the target or goal of something, especially in business, marketing, or computing.
Retarget is usually technical, business in register.
Retarget: in British English it is pronounced /ˌriːˈtɑːɡɪt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌriˈtɑːrɡɪt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this verb.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of an archer (RE)drawing their bow to aim at a new TARGET.
Conceptual Metaphor
AIMING/POINTING (Goals are targets to be aimed at; changing goals is changing where you aim).
Practice
Quiz
In a computing context, what does 'retarget' most specifically mean?