modernize

verb

mod·​ern·​ize ˈmä-dər-ˌnīz 

modernized; modernizing

transitive verb

: to make modern (as in taste, style, or usage)

intransitive verb

: to adopt modern ways

modernizer noun

Synonyms

• redesign
• update
• streamline
• remake

Examples of modernize in a Sentence

We're modernizing our kitchen with a new oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher.

The country recently announced plans to begin modernizing its army.

The school needs a building with modernized classrooms.

Older companies will need to modernize quickly if they are to survive in today's economy.

Recent Examples on the Web

Corporate capital is right behind: Amazon Web Services’ Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance now links 650 employers with more than 970 colleges worldwide, jointly modernizing cloud- and AI-rich programs. —Dr. Aviva Legatt, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025

Other industries have modernized their supply chain practices and B2B integration strategies in the last few years, especially in the manufacturing, logistics, transportation and retail spaces. —Sarah Jones, Sourcing Journal, 18 July 2025

My challenges were modernizing the institution, adapting the structures for growth. —Sigal Ratner-Arias, Billboard, 17 July 2025

The renovation of the Capitol Visitors Center, to modernize and update the three-level structure under the Capitol, cost more than $600 million after initially expected to cost $71 million. —Benjamin Siegel, ABC News, 17 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for modernize

• advertise
• aggrandize
• agonize
• alibis
• alkalies
• alkalis
• amortize
• amplifies
• analyse
• analyze
• anywise
• authorize

Kids Definition

modernize

verb

mod·​ern·​ize ˈmäd-ər-ˌnīz 

modernized; modernizing

: to make or become modern

especially : to change to suit present styles, tastes, or needs

modernization

ˌmäd-ər-nə-ˈzā-shən

noun

modernizer

ˈmäd-ər-ˌnī-zər

noun