Word
change
US/ˈtʃeɪndʒ/
UK/tʃˈeɪndʒ/
Definitions
01to become or make different
v. to become different, or to make someone or something different.
v. to undergo a transformation or to cause a person or object to become different in nature, appearance, or quality.
“The weather can change very quickly in the mountains, so bring a jacket.”
“The city has changed significantly over the last decade, evolving from a quiet industrial hub into a vibrant center for technology and the arts.”
02to replace
v. to stop using one thing and start using another instead.
v. to substitute one thing for another of the same type.
“I need to change my light bulb because it stopped working.”
“The manager decided to change the supplier after several shipments arrived late and the quality of the raw materials began to decline.”
Antonyms
03to put on different clothes
v. to take off your clothes and put on different ones.
v. to remove one's clothing and put on different garments; often used without a direct object.
“Give me ten minutes to change before we go out to dinner.”
“After the long hike through the muddy woods, the children had to change into dry clothes before they were allowed back into the car.”
Synonyms
04to switch vehicles
v. to get off one bus, train, or plane and get on another to continue your journey.
v. to transfer from one public transport vehicle to another in order to reach a destination.
“You have to change at the next station to get the blue line.”
“Passengers traveling to the suburbs will need to change at the central terminal, as the direct service is currently suspended for maintenance.”
Synonyms
05the act of becoming different
n. the process or result of something becoming different.
n. the act, process, or result of altering or modifying something.
“We need a change of plan because the park is closed today.”
“The sudden change in government policy caught many investors by surprise, leading to a period of uncertainty in the local stock market.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
06coins or returned money
n. money in the form of coins, or the money you get back when you pay with a larger note.
n. money in the form of coins; also refers to the balance of money returned to a purchaser after a payment.
“I have some loose change in my pocket for the parking meter.”
“The cashier handed him his change, but he didn't realize until later that he had been given a five-pound note instead of a ten.”
Etymology
From Middle English changen, chaungen, from Old French changier, from Late Latin cambiāre, from Latin cambīre (“to exchange, barter”), derived from the noun cambium (“change”) (whence was loaned the English doublet cambium), from Gaulish cambion, earlier kambyom (“change”), related to Proto-Celtic kambos (“twisted, crooked”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European (s)ḱh₂(e)mbos, (s)kh₂(e)mbos (“crooked”). More at skimp, scam; see also Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em-. Cognate with Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Romanian schimba, Sicilian canciari, Spanish cambiar. Used in English since the 13th century. Displaced Middle English wenden, from wendan (“to turn, change”) (whence wend). The noun is from Middle English change, chaunge, from Old French change, from the verb changier. See also exchange. Possibly related from the same source is Old English gombe.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Word family
Related words
Idioms
and change — And some quantity, but less than the increment to the next round number.
change collars — To change or shift one's career path.
change hands — To become the property of someone else; to be bought or sold.
change horses in midstream — To change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.
change of clothes — A set of clothes in addition to those already worn.
change of heart — A change of one's opinion, belief or decision.
change of life — Menopause.
change of pace — A shift from one activity to another
change of scenery — A movement from one location to another.
change of tack — A reversal of an opinion.
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change one's battery — To alter the direction of attacking; to take a new approach to try to achieve an objective.
change one's mind — To decide differently than one had decided before.
change one's story — To give an account of events different from the one previously recounted.
change one's tune — To reconsider; rethink; to reach a different conclusion.
change over — to convert to, to make a transition from one system to another
change someone's mind — To convince someone to make a choice or develop a preference differing from their previous one.
change the channel — To redirect someone’s attention.
change the game — To revolutionize a field of endeavor.
chump change — An amount of remuneration, reward, or other monetary recompense considered to be insultingly small.
get changed — To change one's clothing (usually for a specific purpose).
sea change — A profound transformation; a metamorphosis.
small change — A minor or insignificant amount of money.