ENGLISH
REFERENCE

change

v. · n.
US //ˈtʃeɪndʒ// UK //tʃˈeɪndʒ// change
  1. 1 to become or make different (v.)
    A1 Beginner

    to become different, or to make someone or something different.

    to undergo a transformation or to cause a person or object to become different in nature, appearance, or quality.

    Example

    The weather can change very quickly in the mountains, so bring a jacket.

    Example

    The city has changed significantly over the last decade, evolving from a quiet industrial hub into a vibrant center for technology and the arts.
  2. 2 to replace (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to stop using one thing and start using another instead.

    to substitute one thing for another of the same type.

    Example

    I need to change my light bulb because it stopped working.

    Example

    The manager decided to change the supplier after several shipments arrived late and the quality of the raw materials began to decline.
Show 4 more sensesShow fewer
  1. 3 to put on different clothes (v.)
    A2 Elementary

    to take off your clothes and put on different ones.

    to remove one's clothing and put on different garments; often used without a direct object.

    Example

    Give me ten minutes to change before we go out to dinner.

    Example

    After the long hike through the muddy woods, the children had to change into dry clothes before they were allowed back into the car.
  2. 4 to switch vehicles (v.)
    B1 Intermediate

    to get off one bus, train, or plane and get on another to continue your journey.

    to transfer from one public transport vehicle to another in order to reach a destination.

    Example

    You have to change at the next station to get the blue line.

    Example

    Passengers traveling to the suburbs will need to change at the central terminal, as the direct service is currently suspended for maintenance.
  3. 5 the act of becoming different (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    the process or result of something becoming different.

    the act, process, or result of altering or modifying something.

    Example

    We need a change of plan because the park is closed today.

    Example

    The sudden change in government policy caught many investors by surprise, leading to a period of uncertainty in the local stock market.
  4. 6 coins or returned money (n.)
    A1 Beginner

    money in the form of coins, or the money you get back when you pay with a larger note.

    money in the form of coins; also refers to the balance of money returned to a purchaser after a payment.

    Example

    I have some loose change in my pocket for the parking meter.

    Example

    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.
Origin

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.

Word family
Idioms21 entries

© 2026 English Reference