modernization

American  

[mod-er-nahy-zey-shuhn] / ˌmɒd ər naɪˈzeɪ ʃən /

especially British, modernisation

noun

1. the act or process of making or becoming up-to-date, or the state of being up-to-date or modern.

   Los Angeles is investing billions in the first major modernization at LAX since the 1984 Olympics.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• remodernization
  noun
• overmodernization
  noun
• antimodernization
  noun

Etymology

Origin of modernization

moderniz(e) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Explanation

Modernization is the process of updating something or making it work in a contemporary setting. The modernization of an office might include new computers, high-speed internet, and a fancy espresso machine. Kitchen modernization usually means new appliances and expensive countertops—the kitchen ends up looking more modern and working in a modern way as well. The modernization of a Shakespeare play, on the other hand, may involve contemporary settings and clothing, or even updating language of the dialogue. Modernization comes via modern, from the Late Latin modernus, "modern," and ultimately the root modo, "just now."

Example Sentences

Modernization of rules costs taxpayers nothing, gives purpose to underused spaces in rural and underserved areas, and makes efficient use of high-density urban buildings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

LAX’s Airfield and Terminal Modernization Program will reconfigure 4.4 miles of road and move cars previously queued along Sepulveda Boulevard onto dedicated, elevated roadways separate from local traffic.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

The HSA comes along in 2003 as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act.

From Slate • Mar. 31, 2025

What emerged from months of deliberations was the 1,200-page Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

Modernization and Reform Putin is considerably less of an economic modernizer than was Napoleon III.

From Russian Roulette: Russia's Economy in Putin's Era by Vaknin, Samuel