revise

American  

[ri-vahyz] / rɪˈvaɪz /

verb (used with object)

revises, present (3rd person singular) revised, past participle, past revising present participle

1. to amend or alter.

   to revise one's opinion.

   Synonyms:

   correct, emend, change

2. to alter something already written or printed, in order to make corrections, improve, or update.

   to revise a manuscript.

3. British. to review (previously studied materials) in preparation for an examination.

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noun

1. an act of revising.

2. a revised form of something; revision.

3. Printing. a proof sheet taken after alterations have been made, for further examination or correction.

revise British  

/ rɪˈvaɪz /

verb

1. (tr) to change, alter, or amend

   to revise one's opinion

2. to reread (a subject or notes on it) so as to memorize it, esp in preparation for an examination

3. (tr) to prepare a new version or edition of (a previously printed work)

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noun

1. the act, process, or result of revising; revision

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• revisable
  adjective
• revisor
  noun
• revisability
  noun
• revisible
  adjective
• revisal
  noun
• reviser
  noun
• prerevise
  verb (used with object)

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have revised
  perfect
• has revised
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are revising
  progressive
• has been revising
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been revising
  perfect progressive
• am revising
  progressive 1st person singular
• is revising
  progressive 3rd person singular
• revises
  singular 3rd person
• revising
  participle

Past

• had revised
  perfect
• had been revising
  perfect progressive
• was revising
  progressive singular
• were revising
  progressive plural
• revised
  simple
• revised
  participle

Future

• will revise
  simple
• will have revised
  perfect
• will be revising
  progressive
• will have been revising
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of revise

First recorded in 1560–70; from Latin revīsere “to look back at, revisit,” frequentative of revidēre “to see again”; see review

Explanation

To revise means to alter or improve a preliminary draft of something, usually a text. When you want your writing to be really great, you must revise it several times until it is perfect. The word revise sounds like the related word revisit, and revising a piece of work does in fact require revisiting it. Planning out a project includes estimating how much it will cost and when it will be done. If something unforeseen happens, you might have to revise your estimates of cost and completion date. You can also use revise as a noun. Once you finish the first draft of an essay, you can begin working on the revise.

Example Sentences

Charlotte Carr and Mathura Balanathan said their two main stresses were the vast range of content to revise and managing time wisely.

From BBC • May 29, 2026

Congress should revise the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and clarify the compassionate release statute.

From Slate • May 29, 2026

A move up or down by tenths or even hundredths of a percentage point has the power to move markets and revise economic expectations.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Riddle asked the Bureau of Reclamation to revise the plan so the water that’s released from the dam stays cold enough for salmon.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

Then, with feedback in hand, I revise each chapter twice more before circling back and giving the entire book at least two complete passes of polishing.

From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker

Related Words

• alter
• amend
• compare
• cut
• develop
• improve
• modify
• overhaul
• reconsider
• reexamine
• reorganize
• revamp
• review
• rework
• rewrite
• scrutinize
• tighten
• update
• upgrade