modernise

modernise — verb

1. to improve a system, building, or organisation by giving it new equipment, metho

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to improve a system, building, or organisation by giving it new equipment, methods, or designs that are typical of the present time

Example

The teaching hospital was modernised last year with new digital X-ray machines.

passive: be modernised + with [new equipment]

Kabir modernised the firm's entire computer network over the summer break.

Common collocations
  • modernise the system
  • modernise the factory
  • modernise the infrastructure
  • fully modernised
  • recently modernised
Synonyms
  • update

    broader; can apply to software, information, and personal items, unlike modernise which focuses on present-day standards

  • renovate

    focuses on physical repair and renewal, especially of buildings; modernise adds the idea of bringing things up to current standards

  • overhaul

    suggests a complete, thorough change of a system or process; more dramatic than modernise

  • upgrade

    specific to improving quality or capability, especially of technology or equipment

Antonyms
  • preserve

    to keep something in its original state rather than updating it

Grammar Patterns

modernise + noun phrase

Usage Note

Frequently used in passive constructions when describing institutional or infrastructural changes. The direct object is typically an organisation, system, or facility — not a person.

Common Mistakes

I modernised my phone by changing the wallpaper.
I updated my phone's software to the latest version.
'modernise' typically applies to systems, organisations, or facilities, not personal items or minor cosmetic changes.

Word family

  • modern
    adjectiveB1
  • modernisation
    nounB2
  • modernist
    nounC1
  • modernity
    nounC1
  • modernism
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe making something better or more current, but they differ in scope and focus. 'Update' is the broadest — you can update a phone, a file, or a wardrobe — and it does not imply major structural change. 'Renovate' is limited to physical spaces: you renovate a house, a hotel, or a bathroom, usually by repairing or redecorating. 'Overhaul' implies a thorough, often complex transformation of a system or process — for example, overhauling the tax code or a railway timetable. 'Upgrade' is about raising the quality or capacity of something, especially technology — upgrading a computer's processor or a software licence. If you modernise a factory, you do more than update a single machine (upgrade) or repaint the walls (renovate); you change the equipment and methods so the whole operation meets current standards.

update ↗renovate ↗overhaulupgrade ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • the company modernised
  • the system modernised
  • the factory modernised
  • the infrastructure was modernised

Adverbs

  • fully modernised
  • recently modernised
  • completely modernised
  • gradually modernised

Phrases

  • modernise the way…
  • modernise the process of…
  • undergo modernisation

Prepositions

  • modernised with
  • modernised by
  • modernised for

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The verb 'modernise' combines the adjective 'modern' (from Latin 'modernus', meaning 'of the present time' — itself from 'modo', meaning 'just now') with the verb suffix '-ise'. The word entered English through French 'moderniser'. The verb form first appeared in English writing around the mid-18th century.