amend

verb \ ə-ˈmend \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

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Examples: amend in a Sentence

Editor's Note: amend vs. emend

Definition of amend

amended; amending; amends

transitive verb

1 : to put right; especially : to make emendations in (something, such as a text)

amended the manuscript

2 a : to change or modify (something) for the better : improve

amend the situation

b : to alter especially in phraseology; especially : to alter formally by modification, deletion, or addition

amend a constitution

intransitive verb

: to reform oneself

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amendable

play \-ˈmen-də-bəl\ adjective

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amender

noun

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Examples of amend in a Sentence

The country's constitution was amended to allow women to vote.
They voted to amend the law in 1920.
He tried to amend the situation by apologizing to me.

Recent Examples of amend from the Web

Changes that amend the state constitution must pass the General Assembly in identical form in two consecutive sessions before going directly to voters to approve or reject.

— jonathan lai, Philly.com, "How the U.S. Supreme Court's partisan gerrymandering non-decisions affect Pa.," 18 June 2018
Macedonia plans to amend its constitution to reflect the change.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Why Macedonia’s Government Agreed to Change the Country’s Name," 13 June 2018
Unlike in Ireland, where a referendum is necessary to amend the constitution, lawmakers in the U.K. could change legislation without a national vote.

— ciara nugent, Time, "Why Ireland’s Abortion Result Is a Political Headache for British Prime Minister Theresa May," 6 June 2018
Ahead of the Supreme Court decision, Assemblyman Adam Gray introduced a bill to amend the California Constitution, which gives Indian tribes exclusive rights to operate slot machines and other casino-style games.

— New York Times, "Indian Tribes Dig In to Gain Their Share of Sports Betting," 21 May 2018
Lawmakers once again whiffed on enacting ethics reform, taking up but never voting on a bill in the waning moments of the session that would have asked voters to amend the state Constitution to ban lobbyist gifts.

— jason hancock, allison kite and tessa weinberg, kansascity, "GOP lawmakers mark victories in 2018 session despite cloud cast by Greitens’ scandals | The Kansas City Star," 18 May 2018
The proposal to amend the constitution to three consecutive presidential terms rather than two was posted to the State Duma website Friday.

— adam taylor, chicagotribune.com, "Russia's parliament to consider proposal to allow Putin to run for reelection again in 2024," 18 May 2018
An organization attempting to amend the U.S. Constitution will hold an informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 21 at the Poway Library.

— Pomerado News, "Meeting Monday on amending Constitution," 17 May 2018
The cabinet will seek to amend the constitution to make the legislation tougher.

— zoltan simon, Bloomberg.com, "Orban Plans Tougher NGO Law in Showdown With European Party Ally," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amend.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

amend vs. emend

The question of whether to use amend or emend is a vexing one for many people, complicated by the fact that the words sound quite similar and have meanings that overlap to a considerable degree. Both words can be used with the meanings “to improve” or “to correct,” but there are subtle differences. Emend is most often used in connection with changes to some form of written material, such as a text or manuscript; while such documents may also be described as amended, amend can apply to improvements or corrections made to things other than writing, as in “he amended his behavior.” The confusion is compounded by the fact that one of the most frequently encountered uses of amend is in reference to a document: the Constitution of the United States.

Origin and Etymology of amend

Middle English, from Anglo-French amender, modification of Latin emendare, from e, ex out + menda fault; akin to Latin mendax lying, mendicus beggar, and perhaps to Sanskrit mindā physical defect

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

amend Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of amend

correct, rectify, emend, remedy, redress, amend, reform, revise mean to make right what is wrong. correct implies taking action to remove errors, faults, deviations, defects.