modify
Americanverb (used with object)
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modifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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modified,
past participle, past
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modifying
present participle
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to change somewhat the form or qualities of; alter partially; amend.
to modify a contract.
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Grammar. (of a word, phrase, or clause) to stand in a syntactically subordinate relation to (another word, phrase, or clause), usually with descriptive, limiting, or particularizing meaning; be a modifier. In a good man, good modifies man.
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to be the modifier or attribute of.
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to change (a vowel) by umlaut.
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to reduce or lessen in degree or extent; moderate; soften.
to modify one's demands.
verb (used without object)
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modifies,
present (3rd person singular)
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modified,
past participle, past
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modifying
present participle
verb
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to change the structure, character, intent, etc, of
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to make less extreme or uncompromising
to modify a demand
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grammar (of a word or group of words) to bear the relation of modifier to (another word or group of words)
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linguistics to change (a vowel) by umlaut
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(intr) to be or become modified
Synonym Usage
Modify, qualify, temper suggest altering an original statement, condition, or the like, so as to avoid anything excessive or extreme. To modify is to alter in one or more particulars, generally in the direction of leniency or moderation: to modify demands, rates. To qualify is to restrict or limit by exceptions or conditions: to qualify one's praise, hopes. To temper is to alter the quality of something, generally so as to diminish its force or harshness: to temper one's criticism with humor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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modifiabilitynoun
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modifiablenessnoun
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overmodifyverb
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remodifyverb
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premodifyverb (used with object)
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modifiableadjective
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nonmodifyingadjective
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unmodifiableadjective
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unmodifiedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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modifysimple
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modifiessimple
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have modifiedperfect
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has modifiedperfect
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am modifyingprogressive
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are modifyingprogressive
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is modifyingprogressive
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have been modifyingperfect progressive
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has been modifyingperfect progressive
Past
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modifiedsimple
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had modifiedperfect
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was modifyingprogressive
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were modifyingprogressive
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had been modifyingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of modify
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English modifien, from Middle French modifier, from Latin modificāre “to impose a rule or pattern, regulate, restrain”; equivalent to mode 1 + -ify
Explanation
To modify is to change or transform, but only slightly. If you miss your free-throws half the time, your coach will probably try to improve your shooting average by modifying your technique. Modify may mean to alter something, but it's not a total makeover. When you modify or make modifications, you're making subtle changes. These tweaks are usually needed to make improvements or make the thing being modified less extreme. So you can modify your voice if your tone is too harsh, or modify your wardrobe with a few new pairs of cool shoes.
Vocabulary lists containing modify
Tier 2 Words for the SBAC ELA Items
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Language and Grammar - Introductory
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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:
So-called open AI models, which anyone can download and modify, are close behind closed models such as Claude or ChatGPT, which are available only through their owners' paid services.
From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026
It is now proposing new powers that would allow it to force telecoms companies to hand over information or modify or disable services in connection with specific threats or incidents.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
Democracies do this as a matter of course, and we can, too, even if we modify these lessons, and learn from their shortcomings, for our own particular contexts.
From Slate ● Oct. 21, 2026
Theo Francis explains what the trust does—and whether future shareholders can modify the trust and its powers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
“It depends on whether you want the idea of neatness to modify the act of tying the parcel, or the parcel itself, once tied.”
From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman
On Kalshi, Boss places 60 trades a minute and modifies his bids and asks 30 times a second.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026
It modifies a law dating to 2006 that forced foreign investors to form joint ventures with state oil company PDVSA, which insisted on a majority stake.
From Barron's ● Jan. 29, 2026
County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic modifies the brothers’ original sentence to 50 years to life.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 14, 2025
In November, after various unsuccessful trials, Olivia was given a novel Car-T treatment – immunotherapy which genetically modifies a patient's T-cells to attack cancer.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2025
Many of our “symptoms” of disease actually represent ways in which some damned clever microbe modifies our bodies or our behavior such that we become enlisted to spread microbes.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Medicare has a two-year lookback period, so your modified adjusted gross income at age 63 matters when it comes to your annual premiums.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
To make this possible, the engineers used a specialized ultrafast laser and carefully modified the shape and size of its beam.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 27, 2026
They modified his delivery, including having him start it from the third-base side of the pitching rubber.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026
In the U.S., there are some gene-edited crops on the market but many consumers remain wary, worried that genetically modified or edited foods might carry health risks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
Europe still has 45 languages, each with its own modified alphabet, and even greater cultural diversity.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley talked about modifying his workouts, taking inspiration from Kobe Bryant and his animal-themed meditation technique.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2026
The goal will be to determine whether modifying dopamine activity can improve memory, motivation, and fatigue.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
The bulk of the canal's construction work involved widening, deepening and modifying existing waterways, while a small section had to be excavated, Xinhua said.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
But either upgrading infrastructure to climate resiliant schools or modifying the academic year would need institutional change with the possibility of a lot of investment.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Among the herbicides are some that are classified as “mutagens,” or agents capable of modifying the genes, the materials of heredity.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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