update

[uhp-deyt, uhp-deyt, uhp-deyt]

verb (used with object)

updated, updating 

1. to bring (a book, figures, or the like) up to date as by adding new information or making corrections.

   to update a science textbook.

2. Computers.,  to incorporate new or more accurate information in (a database, program, procedure, etc.).

3. to bring (a person, organization, etc.) up to date on a particular subject.

   The magazine article will update you on the international situation.

noun

1. an act or instance of updating.

   to make an update in a financial ledger.

2. information or data used in updating.

3. an updated version, model, or the like.

update

verb

1. to bring up to date

noun

1. the act of updating or something that is updated

Other Word Forms

• updatable adjective
• updater noun
• updateable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of update¹

First recorded in 1940–45; up- + date ¹

Example Sentences

“Though we expect some delays as we accomplish these updates, we are intently focused on limiting cancellations — especially with customers returning home from holiday travel,” the carrier said in a statement.

Read more on MarketWatch

Airbus AIR 0.15%increase; green up pointing triangle said its A320 family of planes need immediate updates to software and, in some cases, hardware, which could ground many flights around the world.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

About 6,000 planes are thought to be affected, about half the European aerospace giant's global fleet, but it is understood most will be able to undergo a simple software update.

Read more on BBC

Congress, updated the rule that required women to wear a skirt or dress.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The team relied on the Dog Aging Project, a long-term community science initiative in which owners provide yearly updates on their pets' diet, lifestyle, health, and living conditions.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• amend 
• modernize 
• refurbish 
• renew 
• renovate 
• restore 
• revise