amend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
amends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amended,
past participle, past
-
amending
present participle
-
to alter, modify, rephrase, or add to or subtract from (a motion, bill, constitution, etc.) by formal procedure.
Congress may amend the proposed tax bill.
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to change for the better; improve.
to amend one's ways.
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to remove or correct faults in; rectify.
- Synonyms:
- correct, remedy, better, ameliorate
- Antonyms:
- worsen
verb (used without object)
-
amends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amended,
past participle, past
-
amending
present participle
verb
-
to improve; change for the better
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to remove faults from; correct
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to alter or revise (legislation, a constitution, etc) by formal procedure
Synonym Usage
Amend, emend both mean to improve by correcting or by freeing from error. Amend is the general term, used of any such correction in detail: to amend spelling, punctuation, grammar. Emend usually applies to the correction of a text in the process of editing or preparing for publication; it implies improvement in the sense of greater accuracy: He emended the text of the play by restoring the original reading.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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amendernoun
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reamendverb
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amendableadjective
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nonamendableadjective
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unamendableadjective
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unamendingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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amendsimple
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amendssimple
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have amendedperfect
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has amendedperfect
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am amendingprogressive
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are amendingprogressive
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is amendingprogressive
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have been amendingperfect progressive
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has been amendingperfect progressive
Past
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amendedsimple
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had amendedperfect
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was amendingprogressive
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were amendingprogressive
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had been amendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of amend
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English amenden, from Old French amender, from Latin ēmendāre “to correct,” equivalent to ē- “out of, from” + mend(a) “blemish” + -āre infinitive suffix; see e- 1
Explanation
When you amend something, you correct or improve it. If you confused your audience when you gave your speech, don't be afraid to amend what you said. Amend can also describe adding amendments to an official document, such as a constitution or law. If politicians in your state want to address the growing number of home foreclosures, they might amend the state constitution to include restrictions intended to reduce foreclosures. Amend comes from the Latin word emendare, meaning "to correct, free from fault."
Vocabulary lists containing amend
The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Restart
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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.
See Examples For:
Based on his reading of the 2022 measure, Hasen concluded that the intent behind it clearly wasn’t to create a new term limit law, but to amend the existing one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
But some MPs, including Northern Ireland MPs, have said the measures do not go far enough and want to amend the bill to include stronger protections in law.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“The settlor can alternatively amend the trust via any method that shows his or her intent to do so by clear and convincing evidence,” McLane Middleton says.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
Revocable trusts allow the person who opens it to retain control during their lifetime and amend it, revoke it or move assets in and out of it, she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
“I need to amend my ‘Ways I Hope Not to Die’ list,” said Lazlo.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
Mr. Barnett blithely amends the statement for children’s fiction: “Maybe more like 94.7 percent of kids’ books are crud.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The “OG influencer” said that he attempted to make amends with some of the celebrities he targeted, including Britney Spears and Khloé Kardashian, whom he said were receptive to his apologies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Piroe made amends for the Premier League side by equalising with a backheel from a Sean Longstaff ball.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
But one aspect of a fair justice system is for wrongdoers to face proportionate consequences—not to be shunned forever, but to be expected to own up, make amends, and, sometimes, pay a penalty.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Jinx had been the face of the whole operation, and not one to pass blame, he took full responsibility and promised to make amends.
From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool
Those hearings were “the first to proceed under a recently amended Tennessee Supreme Court rule allowing review of the method or timing of a scheduled execution.”
From Slate ● Aug. 25, 2026
“Ballmer was the perfect deep-pocket partner to fund Catona’s flagging operations and lend legitimacy to Catona’s carbon credit business,” says the amended complaint viewed by The Times.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
In November, he proposed a council motion, which was amended before being passed, asking officials to draw up proposals for a "full range of enforcement routes" for the site.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
In 2015 Spain amended its immigration laws to let authorities immediately reject and return migrants attempting to cross into Ceuta illegally.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
“It isn’t supposed to be a party,” Helvar amended sullenly.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
The Times’s lawyers filed the letter Saturday, amending a motion to quash the reporter subpoenas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
In the letter, the suit says, university officials were amending their investigation to include a May 8 protest she had attended in which urged students to violate university policies, among other allegations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
S&P Dow Jones Indices announced on Thursday that it decided against amending its policies for index inclusion.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 5, 2026
Its extensive authority includes making laws, amending the constitution and approving state budgets.
From BBC ● Mar. 11, 2026
I jot it down, amending it to ammonia, and pick out the next letter.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
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.
