modify

English

Etymology

From Middle English modifien, from French modifier, from Latin modificare (“to limit, control, regulate, deponent”), from modificari (“to measure off, set bound to, moderate”), from modus (“measure”) + facere (“to make”); see mode.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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Verb

modify (third-person singular simple present modifies, present participle modifying, simple past and past participle modified)

1. (transitive) To make partial changes to.
2. (intransitive) To be or become modified.

Synonyms

• adapt, alter, amend, revamp, rework

Related terms

• modification
• modifier

Translations

to make partial changes to

• Catalan: modificar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 修改 (cmn) (xiūgǎi)

• Crimean Tatar: tüzetmek
• Danish: modificere (da)
• Dutch: modificeren (nl), veranderen (nl)
• Esperanto: modifi (eo)
• Estonian: muutma (et)
• Finnish: muokata (fi), muunnella (fi), määrittää (fi) (grammar)

• French: modifier (fr)
• German: ändern (de), abändern (de), modifizieren (de)
• Greek: μετατρέπω (el) (metatrepo), προσδιορίζω (el) (prosdiorizo)
• Interlingua: modificar (ia)
• Polish: modyfikować (pl)
• Romanian: modifica (ro)
• Russian: изменять (ru) (izmenjátʹ), модифицировать (ru) (modificírovatʹ)
• Spanish: modificar (es)

to be or become modified

• Greek: μετατρέπομαι (el) (metatrepome)

• Russian: изменяться (ru) (izmenjátʹsja), модифицироваться (ru) (modificírovatʹsja)

References

• modify in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• modify in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913