Etymology: Either < classical Latin recreātus, past participle of recreāre recreate v.¹, or < re- prefix + create adj. Compare earlier recreated adj.¹ N.E.D. (1904) gives the pronunciation as (rīkriˌēⁱ·t) /riːkrɪˈeɪt/.

Etymology: < classical Latin recreāt-, past participial stem (see -ate suffix³) of recreāre to create anew or again, to restore, refresh, revive, in post-classical Latin also to create anew (in Christ) (3rd cent.) < re- re- prefix + creāre create v. Compare recreate v.², which probably shows a borrowing from the same Latin verb, although in modern use it normally shows the pronunciation typical of English formations in re- prefix, and hence is distinct in pronunciation from the present word. Compare also recreation n.¹, re-creation n.² Compare slightly earlier create v.Compare Anglo-Norman and Old French recrier, Anglo-Norman and Middle French recreer to create anew or again, to create (12th cent.), to refresh, reinvigorate, hearten, comfort, (reflexive) to refresh or entertain oneself (13th cent.) (distinguished in form in modern French: récréer to make relaxed, (reflexive) to relax, recréer to create anew or again), also Old Occitan recrear (1240), Catalan recrear (14th cent.), Spanish recrear (14th cent.), Portuguese recrear (14th cent.), Italian ricreare (14th cent.); also, in sense ‘to create anew or again’, Spanish recriar (14th cent.), Portuguese recriar (14th cent.): the forms in the Romance languages are probably partly < classical Latin recreāre, and partly independent formations, although (with the exception of Spanish recriar and Portuguese recriar) the latter are difficult to distinguish formally.

Etymology: Probably originally < classical Latin recreāt-, past participial stem (see -ate suffix³) of recreāre recreate v.¹, but subsequently reanalysed as an English formation < re- prefix + create v. Thus probably originally the same word as recreate v.¹, but now normally distinguished in pronunciation. Compare also foreign-language parallels at recreate v.¹