modernize
MOD-er-nyze
/ˈmɒd.ə.naɪz/
To adapt something to modern needs or habits, typically by installing modern equipment or adopting modern ideas.
Implies bringing something 'up to date' rather than creating something entirely new from scratch.
The story behind the word. The root 'modo' means 'just now' in Latin. Modernize literally means to make something fit for 'just now.'
Word relationships
- update: Update is more general; modernize specifically implies aligning with current styles or technology.
- archaise: To make something appear old or traditional.
Commonly confused with
- renovate: Renovate means to restore to a good state of repair; modernize means to make it current.
Word family
- modernization (noun): The process of adapting something to modern needs.
Collocations
- modernize equipment
- modernize the economy
- modernize infrastructure
Idioms & expressions
- bring into the 21st century
- get with the times
Example sentences
- "The city spent millions to modernize the aging subway system with digital signaling." Infrastructure
- "The director chose to modernize the play by setting it in a 21st-century office." Literature
Memory hook
Modernize is to make it 'Modern-Eyes'—looking at it through today's eyes. Make it 'now'.
When not to use
Avoid when the change is a total transformation; use it for updates to existing systems.
Fun facts
- The word 'modern' was first used in the 1500s to distinguish the present era from the Middle Ages.
Related words
Explore more words
renovation, retrofit, revolutionize, streamline, revitalize, adapt
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