update
Americanverb (used with object)
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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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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.
You can stay update with the latest temperature trends on the BBC Weather app.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2026
The government update on Sunday said 19,583 people were living in the camps.
From Barron's • Jul. 12, 2026
“The potential for rapid fire growth with erratic fire behavior,” said the county update, “remains high.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2026
It’s built into enough of a mystery that Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, wrote an open letter to McConnell on Wednesday requesting that he update Kentuckians on the status of his health.
From Slate • Jul. 11, 2026
Nearly every evening there was at least an update on the case—which, as of yet, had only recently been assigned a hearing date for March and entered into the docket as Chow v.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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.
