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Which musician released the hit song "Changes" in the 1970s?

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change

American  

[chaynj] / tʃeɪndʒ /

verb (used with object)

• changes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• changed,
  past participle,  past
• changing
  present participle

1. to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.

   to change one's name;

   to change one's opinion;

   to change the course of history.

   Synonyms:

   modify, amend, mutate, vary, transform, transmute

2. to transform or convert (usually followed byinto ).

   The witch changed the prince into a toad.

3. to substitute another or others for; exchange for something else, usually of the same kind.

   She changed her shoes when she got home from the office.

   Synonyms:

   swap, replace

4. to give and take reciprocally; interchange.

   to change places with someone.

   Synonyms:

   trade

5. to transfer from one (conveyance) to another.

   You'll have to change planes in Chicago.

6. to give or get an equivalent amount of money in lower denominations in exchange for.

   to change a five-dollar bill.

7. to give or get foreign money in exchange for.

   to change dollars into euros.

   Synonyms:

   convert

8. to remove and replace the covering or coverings of.

   to change a bed.

9. to remove a dirty diaper from (a baby) and replace it with a clean one.

   new parents, learning to change a baby.

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verb (used without object)

• changes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• changed,
  past participle,  past
• changing
  present participle

1. to become different.

   Overnight the nation's mood changed.

2. to become altered or modified.

   Colors change if they are exposed to the sun.

   Synonyms:

   alternate, mutate, vary

   Antonyms:

   remain

3. to become transformed or converted (usually followed byinto ).

   The toad changed back into a prince.

4. to pass gradually into (usually followed by to orinto ).

   Summer changed to autumn.

5. to switch or to make an exchange.

   If you want to sit next to the window, I'll change with you.

6. to transfer between trains or other conveyances.

   We can take the local and change to an express at the next stop.

7. to remove one's clothes and put on different clothes.

   She changed into jeans.

8. (of the moon) to pass from one phase to another.

9. (of the voice) to become deeper in tone; come to have a lower register.

   The boy's voice began to change when he was thirteen.

noun

• changes
  plural

1. the act or fact of changing; fact of being changed.

   They are pleased by the change in their son's behavior.

   Synonyms:

   vicissitude, conversion, mutation, transmutation

   Antonyms:

   permanence

2. a transformation or modification; alteration.

   They noticed the change in his facial expression.

3. a variation or deviation.

   a change in the daily routine.

4. the substitution of one thing for another.

   We finally made the change to an oil-burning furnace.

   Synonyms:

   exchange

5. variety or novelty.

   Let's try a new restaurant for a change.

6. the passing from one place, state, form, or phase to another.

   a change of seasons;

   social change.

7. Jazz. harmonic progression from one tonality to another; modulation.

8. the supplanting of one thing by another.

   We need a total change of leadership.

   Synonyms:

   replacement

9. anything that is or may be substituted for another.

   Synonyms:

   replacement

10. a fresh set of clothing.

11. money given in exchange for an equivalent of higher denomination.

12. a balance of money that is returned when the sum tendered in payment is larger than the sum due.

13. coins of low denomination.

14. any of the various sequences in which a peal of bells may be rung.

15. British. Also 'change exchange.

16. Obsolete. changefulness; caprice.

verb phrase

1. change off

   1. to take turns with another, as at doing a task.

   2. to alternate between two tasks or between a task and a rest break.

idioms

1. change one's mind, to change one's opinions or intentions.

2. change hands. hand.

3. ring the changes,

   1. to perform all permutations possible in ringing a set of tuned bells, as in a bell tower of a church.

   2. to vary the manner of performing an action or of discussing a subject; repeat with variations.

4. change front, to shift a military force in another direction.

change British  

/ tʃeɪndʒ /

verb

1. to make or become different; alter

2. (tr) to replace with or exchange for another

   to change one's name

3. to transform or convert or be transformed or converted

4. to give and receive (something) in return; interchange

   to change places with someone

5. (tr) to give or receive (money) in exchange for the equivalent sum in a smaller denomination or different currency

6. (tr) to remove or replace the coverings of

   to change a baby

7. to put on other clothes

8. (intr) (of the moon) to pass from one phase to the following one

9. to operate (the gear lever of a motor vehicle) in order to alter the gear ratio

   to change gear

10. to alight from (one bus, train, etc) and board another

11. to rotate the telescope of a surveying instrument through 180° horizontally and vertically, taking a second sighting of the same object in order to reduce error

12. informal to put on different shoes, boots, etc

13. 1. military to redeploy (a force in the field) so that its main weight of weapons points in another direction

    2. to alter one's attitude, opinion, etc

14. to pass from one owner to another

15. to alter one's decision or opinion

16. to alter one's attitude or tone of speech

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noun

1. the act or fact of changing or being changed

2. a variation, deviation, or modification

3. the substitution of one thing for another; exchange

4. anything that is or may be substituted for something else

5. variety or novelty (esp in the phrase for a change )

   I want to go to France for a change

6. a different or fresh set, esp of clothes

7. money given or received in return for its equivalent in a larger denomination or in a different currency

8. the balance of money given or received when the amount tendered is larger than the amount due

9. coins of a small denomination regarded collectively

10. archaic (often capital) a place where merchants meet to transact business; an exchange

11. the act of passing from one state or phase to another

12. the transition from one phase of the moon to the next

13. the order in which a peal of bells may be rung

14. sport short for changeover

15. slang desirable or useful information

16. obsolete fickleness or caprice

17. a profound change of outlook, opinion, etc

18. slang not to be successful in attempts to exploit or extract information from someone

19. to vary the manner or performance of an action that is often repeated

change More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing change

• for a change
• leopard cannot change its spots
• piece of change
• ring the changes

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Usage

What is another way to say change? To change something is to make its form, nature, or content different from what it is currently or from what it would be if left alone. How is change different from alter? Find out on Thesaurus.com.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• changedness
  noun
• changelessness
  noun
• changer
  noun
• unchangingness
  noun
• changeless
  adjective
• unchanged
  adjective
• unchanging
  adjective
• changelessly
  adverb
• unchangingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• changes
  plural

Participles

• changing
  present
• changed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• change
  simple
• changes
  simple
• have changed
  perfect
• has changed
  perfect
• am changing
  progressive
• are changing
  progressive
• is changing
  progressive
• have been changing
  perfect progressive
• has been changing
  perfect progressive

Past

• changed
  simple
• had changed
  perfect
• was changing
  progressive
• were changing
  progressive
• had been changing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will change
  simple
• will have changed
  perfect
• will be changing
  progressive
• will have been changing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of change

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English verb cha(u)ngen, from Anglo-French, Old French changer, from Late Latin cambiāre, Latin cambīre “to exchange, barter”; Middle English noun cha(u)nge, from Anglo-French, Old French, noun derivative of the verb; of Celtic origin

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Explanation

Is it just not the same anymore? Then there must have been a change. The noun change can refer to any thing or state that is different from what it once was. Change is everywhere in life — and in English. The word has numerous senses, both as a noun and verb, and is a part of many common phrases, like "a change of heart." Change might describe a drastic transformation, as in Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, or it could also represent what’s jingling in your pocket.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

change changes changed changing

While their monthly payments are not immediately affected by a rate change, their future deals are, and lenders have already "priced in" the expected rate rise when quoting new deals.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

If Messrs. Modi and Vaishnaw can change this reputation, they will do India a favor that goes far beyond semiconductors.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

Another undecided item, Proposition 5, would change the process for recalling an elected official.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde on Wednesday urged the eurozone to adapt faster to climate change as the economic costs mount, after a summer of punishing heatwaves.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

And second, telling them could change the Flash in a hundred different ways.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Skeptics, including Lewis, say there is already enough demand for new housing and that additional changes, such as to building codes or zoning, are needed to make it easier and less expensive to build.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: "Together, these changes will bring bills down for good, give families greater security and put Britain back in control of its energy future."

From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026

Under the changes Google announced in a blog post on Tuesday, Gemini, Gemini Notebook, Gemini in Classroom and Search will be turned off for K-12 student accounts until school administrators switch them on.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

A panel of Wall Street experts that advises Treasury on its debt management said separately that it expects changes in auction sizes would be needed sometime this fiscal year, which ends in September.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The light changes, and the guy on the bike takes an additional beat to stare us down yet again.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

Consumers have gravitated toward RTDs in part because the pandemic changed social habits.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

Another important distinction concerns which cells are changed.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

That changed by the late 1980s, as immigration brought millions of Latinos to California.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

That uncertainty has fundamentally changed how I think about money, retirement and the future.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

That changed and I saw nothing but friendliness.

From "Black Star, Bright Dawn" by Scott O'Dell

Adaptation finance is aimed at protecting countries from a changing climate, with measures ranging from building sea walls and levees to planting drought-resistant crops or making homes more resilient to natural disasters.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

The researchers then calculated the total number of these trips under the proposed system and compared it with the current practice of changing clocks twice a year.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026

"I am hesitant to see how impactful they'll really be. We'll have people who can make things change but until results start coming in and things start changing I remain a little skeptical."

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Although its role in the region is changing, the U.S. isn’t leaving, Mr. Barrack insists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2026

At least not when it came to changing history.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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Related Words

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• alter
• evolve
• fluctuate
• modify
• reform
• resolve
• shape
• shift
• transform
• turn
• vary

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