update
Americanverb (used with object)
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to bring (a book, figures, or the like) up to date as by adding new information or making corrections.
to update a science textbook.
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Computers. to incorporate new or more accurate information in (a database, program, procedure, etc.).
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to bring (a person, organization, etc.) up to date on a particular subject.
The magazine article will update you on the international situation.
noun
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an act or instance of updating.
to make an update in a financial ledger.
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information or data used in updating.
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an updated version, model, or the like.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of update
Explanation
When you renovate or improve something, changing it to make it more modern, you can say you update it. The process of doing this can also be called an update. If you decide to download the latest version of an app or program, you update it, and when you add recent information to your resume before starting a job search, you also update that. You might also update your friends about your job hunt, letting them know you're seeking employment — you're giving them the latest information, or an update. The verb dates from the 1940s.
Vocabulary lists containing update
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The show’s first Weekend Update segment leaned in to the possibility that anyone could be watching, even a disgraced former prince.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
Saturday Night Live UK will follow a similar format, with each 75-minute episode featuring an opening monologue as well as topical sketches, live music and a satire of the week's news called Weekend Update.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026
Weekend Update, the sketch show’s regular news desk segment, focused heavily on Iran.
From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026
Strategy Update Wells Fargo External link Jan. 30: Kevin Warsh has been seen as bearish for stocks, given his hawkish view on the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
“Enough about that. Update me on your summer goals list! What’s checked off, what’s in progress?”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
