A colleague and I were reading a corporate memo that contained the phrase 'redouble our efforts'. His claim was that the word redouble was equivalent to double and simply nonstandard. (Similar to, say, using irregardless in place of regardless). I've heard this phrase fairly frequently, and don't see anything wrong with it in particular, but I was wondering if perhaps there was some style guide that prescribed against it or something similar that marked a preference for simply doubling our efforts rather than redoubling them.
Learn English – Is the verb “redouble” just a redundant way to say “double”
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Best Answer
"Redouble" is a valid word in its own right, not non-standard at all. Its use is uncommon, to be sure, seen primarily in the idiomatic expression that you reference. Technically, according to its etymology (french "re-" + "doubler"), it should mean either "to quadruple" or "to double a second time." However, it has over time acquired a broader meaning as "intensify" or "strengthen."