What does "amend" mean?
An act of righting a wrong; compensation.
Amend
name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·2 syllables ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of righting a wrong; compensation.
- Grammar: amend is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: ameliorate, correct, improve, rectify.
- Useful contrasts: ignore, invalidate, maintain.
- Usage evidence: Some people want to amend the constitution.
How to use "amend"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "amend" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "amend" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "amend" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "amend" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "amend" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ameliorate" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "amend", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of righting a wrong; compensation. plural-normally
"Thus by the code of the Visigoths, it was forbidden to all strangers to take their subjects under a penalty of one hundred lashes and an amend in gold."
- 2 Clipping of amendment (“alteration or change for the better”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal, plural-normally
"I've sent over a new version of the doc with some amends."
Verb
- 1 To make better; improve. transitive
"Mud not the fountain that gave drink to thee; Mar not the thing that cannot be amended."
- 2 set straight or right wordnet
- 3 To become better. intransitive
"The teacher sat at one end of the bench, with a meek little fellow by his side. When the others were disorderly, this young martyr received a rap; intended, probably, as a sample of what the rest might expect, if they didn't amend."
- 4 to make better wordnet
- 5 To heal (someone sick); to cure (a disease etc.). obsolete, transitive
"But Paridell complaynd, that his late fight / With Britomart, so sore did him offend, / That ryde he could not, till his hurts he did amend."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 make amendments to wordnet
- 7 To be healed, to be cured, to recover (from an illness). intransitive, obsolete
"Ay, sir; there are a crew of wretched souls That stay his cure: their malady convinces The great assay of art; but at his touch— Such sanctity hath heaven given his hand— They presently amend."
- 8 To make a formal alteration (in legislation, a report, etc.) by adding, deleting, or rephrasing. transitive
"The following motions cannot be amended:"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Antonyms
Example
"Some people want to amend the constitution."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "amend"?
Common synonyms include: ameliorate, correct, improve, rectify, acculturate, adjust.
How do you use "amend" in a sentence?
Some people want to amend the constitution.
Etymology
From Middle English amenden, from Old French amender, from Latin ēmendō (“free from faults”), from ex (“from, out of”) + mendum (“fault”). Compare aphetic mend. Doublet of emend.