update
Americanverb (used with object)
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updates,
present (3rd person singular)
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updated,
past participle, past
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updating
present participle
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to bring (a book, figures, or the like) up to date as by adding new information or making corrections.
to update a science textbook.
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Computers. to incorporate new or more accurate information in (a database, program, procedure, etc.).
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to bring (a person, organization, etc.) up to date on a particular subject.
The magazine article will update you on the international situation.
noun
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updates
plural
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an act or instance of updating.
to make an update in a financial ledger.
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information or data used in updating.
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an updated version, model, or the like.
verb
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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updatesimple
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updatessimple
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have updatedperfect
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has updatedperfect
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am updatingprogressive
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are updatingprogressive
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is updatingprogressive
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have been updatingperfect progressive
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has been updatingperfect progressive
Past
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updatedsimple
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had updatedperfect
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was updatingprogressive
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were updatingprogressive
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had been updatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of update
Explanation
When you renovate or improve something, changing it to make it more modern, you can say you update it. The process of doing this can also be called an update. If you decide to download the latest version of an app or program, you update it, and when you add recent information to your resume before starting a job search, you also update that. You might also update your friends about your job hunt, letting them know you're seeking employment — you're giving them the latest information, or an update. The verb dates from the 1940s.
Vocabulary lists containing update
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:
The latest update to U.S. gross domestic product, the official scorecard of the economy, showed no change in the second quarter rate of growth.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Colorado said it would announce "a major update in a Big Tech case."
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
Some cars will also get a software update that will lower their windows in the event of a crash.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The update brought only minor revisions to the initial set of second-quarter gross domestic product numbers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
“There’s still no update on Uriah. I couldn’t get into the room.”
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
Software and capability updates could also generate recurring revenue, recouping investment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
In the coming days, Blume will meet with employees at Volkswagen's headquarters in Wolfsburg and sites in Zwickau and Emden to give updates on the company's plans.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
Read: There have been updates over time, but the original glass etching featuring a mythical unicorn remains on a window in the study.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
In practice, this means that Harp has an out-sized ability to control what information or updates Trump receives, according to another source familiar with White House operations.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
I didn’t contact my parents, but I posted updates on my Facebook page so they would know I was safe, and I kept in touch sporadically with my siblings.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
These connections can keep you updated on what’s going on in your industry and serve as resources once you do start applying for jobs again.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Rather than serving as "an impartial chronographic work," the researchers suggest it may instead have functioned as "a legitimizing canon of kings, which was periodically updated to remove short-lived or parallel Neo-Assyrian rulers."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026
The first Trump administration updated the regulations further in 2019.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Immigration and emigration estimates, external from the ONS are updated twice a year.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
While Razi worked, he and Shifa updated Zheng about their adventures, about fighting off Marco and about Maalu.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
Zelensky held a call with UN chief Antonio Guterres on Friday, updating him on Russian strikes and the civilian casualties they have caused, the Ukrainian leader said on X.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Poltergeist” was, notably, a summertime Amblin release that similarly riffed on classic creature scares — updating dusty, old ghost tropes with new ideas — much like Mitchell does with his dino-time-travel extravaganza.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
“As we navigate a challenging consumer demand environment, we continue to make progress in building a more focused Under Armour, despite updating our full-year revenue outlook,” said Chief Executive Kevin Plank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Davies has made production changes to “Jeopardy!” over his tenure, updating the set and the game board.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
While he was updating the day’s events on the computer, the telephone rang.
From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
