Modify
/ˈmɑː.də.faɪ/noun
To make partial changes to something, usually without completely transforming it.
Did you know?Modify comes from Latin *modificare*, built from *modus* (“measure, limit, manner”), a root that also survives in words like *mode* and *moderate*—so at its core, to modify is to bring something back under measure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*med-
“to measure, advise, consider”
Latin
Latin
modus
“measure, limit, manner, way”
Latin
Latin
modificare
“to regulate, limit, or shape by measure”
Old French
Old French
modifier
“to alter, change, or qualify”
Middle English
English
modifien
“to change or alter”
Modern English
English
modify
“to make changes to something, often partially or slightly”