amend
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to change the words of a law, a contract, or a formal document to improve it.
v.to make formal alterations to a legal document, piece of legislation, or official report by adding, deleting, or rephrasing content.
Simple“The committee voted to amend the club rules to allow new members to join earlier.”
In context“The parliament moved to amend the constitution, ensuring that the new environmental protections were enshrined in the nation's highest law.”
UsageCommonly used with documents, laws, and formal statements as the direct object.
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to change your behavior or a situation so that it is better.
v.to improve or rectify one's conduct or a specific situation; often implies a moral or qualitative upgrade.
Simple“He promised to amend his ways and work harder in the future.”
In context“The CEO sought to amend the company's reputation by launching a series of transparent social responsibility initiatives.”
Teacher's tipIn modern English, this sense is less common than 'improve' or 'change' and carries a slightly old-fashioned, formal tone.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.something you do to show you are sorry for a mistake or for hurting someone.
n.compensation or an act of righting a wrong; almost exclusively used in the plural form within the fixed idiom 'make amends'.
Simple“She tried to make amends by inviting him to dinner after their argument.”
In context“After years of silence, he returned to his hometown to make amends for the bridges he had burned in his youth.”
UsageTypically appears in the phrase 'make amends to [someone] for [something]'.
PitfallHe tried to make an amend for his mistake. He tried to make amends for his mistake.In this sense, the word is almost always plural ('amends') and used with the verb 'make'.
Synonyms
“Pushed by far-left Sumar, another proposed bill is an organic law to amend the Criminal Code and remove from it various offences that restrict freedom of expression.”