de novo
Americanadverb
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anew; afresh; again; from the beginning.
We reviewed the court’s decision de novo during the rehearing.
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independently of external forces; from within; spontaneously.
Mutations associated with autism often occur de novo rather than through inheritance.
adjective
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occurring or arising spontaneously or independently of external forces; spontaneous: de novo synthesis of steroids from cholesterol.
de novo mutations;
de novo synthesis of steroids from cholesterol.
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made from scratch rather than developed from or based on something preexisting, and hence new, novel, or of a new type: de novo banks.
de novo protein design;
de novo banks.
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De Novo, noting or related to a type of FDA classification allowing novel medical devices with no precedent on the market to be sold: De Novo classification.
a De Novo request;
De Novo classification.
adverb
Etymology
Origin of de novo
First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin dē novō “anew, afresh, again”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Novel material science also includes de novo chemical combinations for batteries that can store more energy with faster charge cycles and lighter weight.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026
World Liberty Trust filed its de novo application Wednesday with the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 7, 2026
Additional studies are also needed to improve remote sensing techniques and to investigate the best methods for training weeding robots to recognize the de novo crops' new traits.
From Science Daily • Apr. 17, 2024
“Currently … it goes through a de novo review before an administrative law judge, which means a new body of records is created,” she explains.
From Science Magazine • Nov. 28, 2023
In addition to these five areas where food production definitely arose de novo, four others—Africa’s Sahel zone, tropical West Africa, Ethiopia, and New Guinea—are candidates for that distinction.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
