modify

To modify is to make a change or alteration.

(verb)

When you alter the color in a room, this is an example of a situation where you modify a color.

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See modify in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb modified, modifying

  1. to change or alter; esp., to change slightly or partially in character, form, etc.
  2. to limit or reduce slightly; moderate: to modify a penalty
  3. Gram. to limit the meaning of; qualify: “old” modifies “man” in “old man”
  4. Linguis. to change the form of a morpheme to indicate grammatical relations or derivation

Origin: ME modifien < MFr < L modificare, to limit, regulate < modus, measure (see mode) + facere, to make: see do

intransitive verb

to be modified

Related Forms:

See modify in American Heritage Dictionary 4

verb mod·i·fied, mod·i·fy·ing, mod·i·fies
verb, transitive
  1. To change in form or character; alter.
  2. To make less extreme, severe, or strong: refused to modify her stand on the issue.
  3. Grammar To qualify or limit the meaning of. For example, summer modifies day in the phrase a summer day.
  4. Linguistics To change (a vowel) by umlaut.
verb, intransitive
To be or become modified; change.

Origin:

Origin: Middle English modifien

Origin: , from Old French modifier

Origin: , from Latin modificāre, to measure, limit

Origin: : modus, measure; see med- in Indo-European roots

Origin: + -ficāre, -fy

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Related Forms:

  • modˌi·fiˌa·bilˈi·ty noun
  • modˈi·fiˌa·ble adjective

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