resignification means the act or process of resignifying, or giving a new meaning to something. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 87 out of 100.
Why “resignification” is a great word
The act of assigning a fresh, often subversive, meaning to an existing word, symbol, or cultural artifact. From the English prefix re- ("again") + signification, from Latin significātiō ("a signifying, meaning"). Unlike reclamation, which specifically denotes a marginalized group seizing back a slur for empowerment, or definition, which codifies a static, established meaning, resignification is the restless, ongoing battle over a sign's soul. It is a corporate logo spray-painted into an anarchist emblem, a fragment of colonial law cited to secure Indigenous land rights, a private insult shouted with defiant pride until it becomes a public banner—the quiet victory of use over prescription, where every established symbol carries the ghost of its future alteration.
Etymology
From re- + signification.
noun
- The act or process of resignifying, or giving a new meaning to something.