recycle

American  

[ree-sahy-kuhl] / riˈsaɪ kəl /

verb (used with object)

recycled, recycling

1. to treat or process (used or waste materials) so as to make suitable for reuse.

   recycling paper to save trees.

2. to alter or adapt for new use without changing the essential form or nature of.

   The old factory is being recycled as a theater.

3. to use again in the original form or with minimal alteration.

   The governor recycled some speeches from his early days.

4. to cause to pass through a cycle again.

   to recycle laundry through a washing machine.

---

verb (used without object)

recycled, recycling

1. to pass through a cycle again; repeat a process from the beginning.

2. to undergo reuse or renewal; be subject to or suitable for further use, activity, etc..

   The industry will recycle and become profitable once more.

noun

1. the act or process of recycling.

recycle British  

/ riːˈsaɪkəl /

verb

1. to pass (a substance) through a system again for further treatment or use

2. to reclaim (packaging or products with a limited useful life) for further use

3. to institute a different cycle of processes or events in (a machine, system, etc)

4. to repeat (a series of operations)

---

noun

1. the repetition of a fixed sequence of events

Other Word Forms

• nonrecyclable adjective
• recyclability noun
• recyclable adjective
• recycler noun
• recyclist noun
• unrecycled adjective

Etymology

Origin of recycle

First recorded in 1925–30; re- + cycle

Example Sentences

Marine annelids are found across nearly all ocean environments, where they help mix sediments, recycle nutrients, signal pollution levels, and support marine food webs.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

Unicharm is testing the scheme in two pioneering southern Japanese municipalities, Shibushi and Osaki, which recycle 80 percent of household waste -- four times the Japanese average.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

In January, Google invested in a startup that aims to recycle electric-vehicle battery packs to power microgrids.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 10, 2026

Explaining why customers further afield will be asked to recycle the bottles instead of returning them, Hartwig adds: "If the people purchasing them are from a different state, it's very unlikely they'll bring them back."

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Another pair of students did a big project where they helped recycle athletic shoes to keep them out of the landfill.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy

Related Words

• convert