modernize

verb

mod·​ern·​ize ˈmä-dər-ˌnīz 

modernized; modernizing

transitive verb

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

modernize a kitchen

intransitive verb

: to adopt modern ways

Older companies need to modernize to survive in the new economy.

modernizer noun

Synonyms of modernize

• 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

Now Russians are actually modernizing them, making completely new technologies. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2026

Modernizing nuclear supply chains The deal comes amid a broader push to modernize nuclear supply chains across the United States. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 23 Sep. 2026

Development teams are producing code faster, modernizing applications more rapidly and introducing new services at unprecedented rates. — Evgeny Gervis, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026

To enable the additional renewable capacity to come online, investment to expand, modernize, and build flexibility on the grid must average up to $1 trillion a year, up from $525 billion in 2025. — Chloé Farand, semafor.com, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1716, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for modernize

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

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