verb
modernize
MO-duh-nyz
verb
1
To make something up to date by adding or updating equipment, design, or methods.
"The factory was modernized with automated machinery."
"The government pledged to modernize the country's outdated rail system."
How to Use Modernize
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo bring something old up to current standards.
UK vs US
Both "modernize" and "modernise" are used in British English; American English uses only "modernize."
Common pairings
modernize infrastructure
modernize the economy
Word Forms
modernized past tense, modernizes singular
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The factory was _____ with automated machinery.
Etymology
From "modern" plus the verb-forming suffix "-ize."