Synonyms

modernize

American

[mod-er-nahyz] / ˈmɒd ərˌnaɪz /

especially British, modernise

verb (used with object)

modernized, modernizing

to make modern; give a new or modern character or appearance to: to modernize a kitchen.

to modernize one's ideas;
to modernize a kitchen.

Synonyms:

update, refurbish, renovate

verb (used without object)

modernized, modernizing

to become modern; adopt modern ways, views, etc.

modernize British

/ ˈmɒdəˌnaɪz /

verb

(tr) to make modern in appearance or style

to modernize a room
(intr) to adopt modern ways, ideas, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

modernization noun
modernizer noun
overmodernize verb
remodernize verb
unmodernized adjective

Etymology

Origin of modernize

First recorded in 1740–50; modern(ism) + -ize

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.

Several reports claim that the athlete poured a lot of money into modernizing the pad, which is located in his homeland.

From MarketWatch

The Fed has said the renovation, approved in 2017, is intended to modernize aging and historic buildings and address long-deferred infrastructure and safety issues.

From Barron's

He inaugurated the modernized railway, first built in the early 20th century, in December 2023.

From The Wall Street Journal

They often receive apartments in Pyongyang, by far the country’s most modernized city.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023