update
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A change in information, a modification of existing or known data.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
uhpdaytSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
əpˈdeɪt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Information or data that updates
“Do you have the latest software update?”
A change in information, a modification of existing or known data.
An additional piece of information, an addition to existing information.
An advisement providing more up-to-date information than currently known.
The act of bringing someone or something up to date
verb
Modernize or bring up to date
“We updated the kitchen in the old house.”
Bring up to date; supply with recent information
Bring to the latest state of technology or supply with the latest data
“Tonight, I will update my operating system.”
transitive
To bring (a thing) up to date.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Varies by meaning
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Word Aura is being prepared for this meaning.
How It’s Used
The word’s distinct uses, one example each.
Information / changenoun
“Do you have the latest software update?”
Modernize / bringverb
“We updated the kitchen in the old house.”
More ways to use update
- “We updated the kitchen in the old house.”verb
- “Do you have the latest software update?”noun
- “Tonight, I will update my operating system.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
The act of changing something to bring it up to date (usually by adding something).
Say it better
Looking for a more precise alternative? “update” can mean several things.
Do you have an update on this?Any update on the contract? Happy to wait if it's still with legal.Following up on the contract, could you let me know where it stands?
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.