verb

amend

uh-MEHND

verb

To make formal changes to a document, law, or agreement in order to correct or improve it.

"Congress voted to amend the bill before the final reading."

"They amended the contract to include a longer notice period."

To improve or correct something more generally.

"He promised to amend his behavior after the warning."

How to Use Amend

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo officially change something, usually to fix or improve it.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "emend," a rarer, more technical word used specifically for correcting text.

Easily confused with

emend

Common pairings

amend a law amend the constitution amend a contract

Word Forms

amended past tense, amend plural, Amends plural, amended plural, amends singular, amend singular, amended singular, amendest singular, amendedst singular, amendeth singular

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Congress voted to _____ the bill before the final reading.

Etymology

From Old French amender, ultimately from Latin emendare, "to remove a fault" — the same root as "emend."

Synonyms

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ameliorate correct improve

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