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
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have updatedperfect
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has updatedperfect 3rd person singular
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are updatingprogressive
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has been updatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am updatingprogressive 1st person singular
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updatessingular 3rd person
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have been updatingperfect progressive
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updatingparticiple
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is updatingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had updatedperfect
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was updatingprogressive singular
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were updatingprogressive plural
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updatedsimple
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updatedparticiple
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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.
She sent on the information which had been requested in late December, but when she phoned for an update was told that Capita would also require a letter of representation from a solicitor.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
Only nine cut them, three issued new guidance and two declined to update previous forecasts.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 7, 2026
The Google spokeswoman said the company will address this “tunnel vision” in an update.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 7, 2026
Friday’s update showed her with 35% of the vote, compared with 28% for Pratt and 25% for Raman.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Finally, at eight thirty the next morning, an aide came in with an update: “ABC just declared you the winner! You got it. You’ve won.”
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
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.
