modify — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To change part of.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Her publisher advised her to modify a few parts of the book to make it easier to read.

2. To be or become modified.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

3. To set bounds to; to moderate.

   Usage

   • Transitive

4. To qualify the meaning of.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   There is inherently no ordering to the modification and no hierarchy of modification: that is, both adjectives modify the substantive and both apply equally to the substantive[…]

   Adjectives modify nouns.

Verb

1. make less severe or harsh or extreme

   Broader terms

   change

   Examples

   please modify this letter to make it more polite

   he modified his views on same-gender marriage

2. add a modifier to a constituent

   Synonyms

   qualify

   Broader terms

   add

3. cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

   Synonyms

   changealter

   Broader terms

   inducestimulatecausehavegetmake

   Examples

   The advent of the automobile may have altered the growth pattern of the city

   The discussion has changed my thinking about the issue