verb · formal

modernize

UK/ˈmɒdənaɪz/US/ˈmɑːdərˌnaɪz/MO·dern·ize

Band 5-6task2speaking

to make something more modern or up-to-date

Examples

The city plans to modernize its public transport system.

They modernized the factory with new machines.

Modernizing education requires investment in teacher training.

Band 8 sentence

The government has committed to modernize rural hospitals by investing in new equipment and staff training.

Collocations

  • modernize infrastructure
  • modernize the curriculum
  • modernize factories/industry

Word family

modernize verbmodernizes/modernized/modernizing verb formsmodernization nounmodern adjective

Common mistakes

Many modernizations are needed in the countryside.Much modernization is needed in the countryside.

They modernize the system yesterday.They modernized the system yesterday.

Say it for a higher band

5change6update7+modernize

Synonyms

update

revamp

Easily confused

update

We need to update the software to fix the bugs.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In -ize

Learn it with its set