amend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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.
-
to change for the better; improve.
to amend one's ways.
-
to remove or correct faults in; rectify.
- Synonyms:
- correct, remedy, better, ameliorate
- Antonyms:
- worsen
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to improve; change for the better
-
to remove faults from; correct
-
to alter or revise (legislation, a constitution, etc) by formal procedure
Related Words
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
- amendable adjective
- amender noun
- nonamendable adjective
- reamend verb
- unamendable adjective
- unamending adjective
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; 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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Inside Out & Back Again
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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.
He said he wished the California Legislature would amend the state Constitution so he could file to reenter the race.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 13, 2026
It’s better to extend the filing date than to amend a return.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
They meant to raise the bar of what it would take to amend it and to get rid of it and to change it.
From Slate • Mar. 16, 2026
EU member states and the European Parliament introduced the ban as part of the proposals to amend the bloc's comprehensive rules on AI.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
I have serious doubts that trying to amend the Constitution would work on an actual level.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
