Meaning & use
reorganization
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
The act of arranging something again in a new and usually better order or structure.
Grammar: Can be countable (a reorganization) or uncountable (after reorganization); often followed by 'of': the reorganization of the files.
Patterns
- a reorganization of something
- undergo reorganization
The reorganization of the library made books easier to find.
After the reorganization of the team, each person knew their duties.
The shelves need a complete reorganization.
nouncountable or uncountablebusiness
A major change in how a company or organization is structured, often to save money.
Grammar: Common in business news; often used with 'major' or 'corporate'.
Patterns
- a major reorganization
- announce a reorganization
- corporate reorganization
The firm announced a reorganization that will merge two departments.
Hundreds of jobs were lost in the reorganization.
Investors welcomed the reorganization of the struggling airline.
noununcountablelegalbusiness
A legal process in which a bankrupt company changes its structure so it can keep operating.
Grammar: Used especially in American bankruptcy law, often with 'Chapter 11'.
Patterns
- file for reorganization
- bankruptcy reorganization
The chain filed for reorganization and kept its stores open.
Under reorganization, the company must repay some debts over time.
Common combinations
- major reorganization
- A major reorganization will cut the number of managers.
- corporate reorganization
- Corporate reorganization often means fewer offices.
- undergo reorganization
- The department will undergo reorganization next year.
- announce a reorganization
- The bank announced a reorganization on Monday.
Synonyms and how they differ
- restructuring
- Very close in business use, but it stresses changing the structure and often debts, while 'reorganization' can also mean simply putting things in a new order.
- shake-up
- Informal and suggests sudden, dramatic change; 'reorganization' is neutral and formal.
- rearrangement
- Usually about physical things or plans on a small scale, not companies.
Word family
- reorganize verb
- to arrange or structure something again
- organize verb
- to put things into an ordered system
- organization noun
- a group such as a company, or the act of arranging things
- organized adjective
- arranged in a careful, orderly way
Commonly confused: reorganization or organization?
reorganization vs organization
'Organization' is a group or the act of arranging; 'reorganization' means arranging something again, usually because the first arrangement failed.
Practice
The company announced a major ______ that will combine its sales and marketing teams.
Choose one answer.
A 'reorganization' is a change to an existing structure, which fits combining two teams. 'Organization' would mean the company itself or a first-time arrangement. 'Organizer' is a person or a small planner, and 'organized' is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “reorganization”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.