update

[ verb uhp-deyt, uhp-deyt; noun uhp-deyt ]

See synonyms for update on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),up·dat·ed, up·dat·ing.

to bring (a book, figures, or the like) up to date as by adding new information or making corrections: to update a science textbook.
Computers. to incorporate new or more accurate information in (a database, program, procedure, etc.).

to bring (a person, organization, etc.) up to date on a particular subject: The magazine article will update you on the international situation.

noun

an act or instance of updating: to make an update in a financial ledger.
information or data used in updating.

an updated version, model, or the like.

Origin of update

First recorded in 1940–45; up- + date¹

Other words from update

up·dat·a·ble, adjective
up·dat·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use update in a sentence

The legislation strengthens and updates a previous version of the bill that expired in 2011.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive | Ben Jacobs | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The Italian navy tweeted regular updates of the saved-to-stranded passenger ratio.
‘We’re Going to Die’: Survivors Recount Greek Ferry Fire Horror | Barbie Latza Nadeau | December 29, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Waze is a GPS-like smartphone app that provides drivers with up-to-the-minute, real-time updates on road conditions.
The Airbnb of Home-Cooked Meals | Itay Hod | November 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Chavez had posted status updates about his recovery, alongside images of friends and the Insane Clown Posse.
A Shooting on a Tribal Land Uncovers Feds Running Wild | Caitlin Dickson | August 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Simple, cheap, and able to spy for miles around, these updates to classic recon balloons are now a battlefield fixture.
Why Old-School Airships Now Rule Our Warzones | Bill Sweetman | June 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

The 1812 edition updates the spelling and punctuation, and omits part of the title page (below), but is otherwise the same text.
Ebrietatis Encomium | Boniface Oinophilus
Maybe he should be building them to fall apart after six months of use, to force updates.
Makers | Cory Doctorow

British Dictionary definitions for update

update

verb(ʌpˈdeɪt) (tr)

to bring up to date

noun(ˈʌpˌdeɪt)

the act of updating or something that is updated

Derived forms of update

updateable, adjective
updater, noun

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

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