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renovate

verb
ren·​o·​vate | \ ˈre-nə-ˌvāt How to pronounce renovate (audio) \
renovated; renovating

Definition of renovate

transitive verb

1 : to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding)
2 : to restore to life, vigor, or activity : revive the church was renovated by a new ecumenical spirit
Other Words from renovate Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym What Is the Difference Between renovate, renew, and restore? More Example Sentences Learn More about renovate

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Other Words from renovate

renovation \ ˌre-​nə-​ˈvā-​shən How to pronounce renovation (audio) \ noun
renovative \ ˈre-​nə-​ˌvā-​tiv How to pronounce renovative (audio) \ adjective
renovator \ ˈre-​nə-​ˌvā-​tər How to pronounce renovator (audio) \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for renovate

renew, restore, refresh, renovate, rejuvenate mean to make like new. renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new. efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle restore implies a return to an original state after depletion or loss. restored a fine piece of furniture refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power. a refreshing drink renovate suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding. the apartment has been entirely renovated rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance. the change in jobs rejuvenated her spirits

What Is the Difference Between renovate, renew, and restore?

Renovate, renew, restore, refresh, and rejuvenate all mean to make like new. Renovate (a word ultimately derived from the Latin verb novare, meaning "to make new," itself a descendant of novus, meaning "new") suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding. Renew implies a restoration of what had become faded or disintegrated so that it seems like new ("efforts to renew the splendor of the old castle"). Restore suggests a return to an original state after depletion or loss ("restored a piece of furniture"). Refresh implies the supplying of something necessary to restore lost strength, animation, or power ("a refreshing drink"). Rejuvenate suggests the restoration of youthful vigor, powers, or appearance ("she was rejuvenated by her new job").

Examples of renovate in a Sentence

It's an old factory that has been renovated as office space. We renovated the kitchen three years ago.

Recent Examples on the Web

 The space was converted into a supermarket in 2016 after being restored and renovated. — Sanya Mansoor, Time, "'Alert The House GOP.' After an Artist Printed 62,000 Pages of Hillary Clinton's Emails, She Showed Up at His Exhibition and Read Through Them," 12 Sep. 2019 Around the same time the city began renovating a famous fountain protesters had planned to gather around. — The Economist, "Why Macau is impervious to the turmoil in Hong Kong," 22 Aug. 2019 When renovating the mansion, an effort was made to bring some of the charm from the styles of the roaring ’20s back to the house. — Caitlin Collins, courant.com, "Keeping calm on the big day: Bridal suites provide a Zen homebase," 21 Aug. 2019 Co-working operator Spaces is renovating Bank of America’s former flagship retail center at 345 Montgomery St. and will open a new center there. — Roland Li, SFChronicle.com, "‘Wall Street West’ no more? Banks shrink as tech grows in San Francisco," 4 Aug. 2019 Unifying and renovating the campus so well is a work of genius. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, "Dijon’s Masterpiece of a Museum, Brilliantly Renovated," 20 July 2019 The daily fines continued for the next two years until a code inspector visited the house again and saw it had been cleaned and renovated. — Kristine Phillips, USA Today, "A Florida woman was fined $100,000 for a dirty pool and overgrown grass. When do fines become excessive?," 19 July 2019 The writer-producer has bought a Spanish-style home that was renovated by actress-designer Mimi Rogers and interior designer Natalie Zimmerman for $3.6 million, records show. — Jack Flemming, Los Angeles Times, "‘Rick and Morty’ co-creator Dan Harmon buys a Valley Village hacienda with designer cred," 15 Aug. 2019 Lately, Tokarczuk has been toying with the idea of living more or less full time in her country house in the Kłodzko Valley, and the place is being renovated and extended. — Ruth Franklin, The New Yorker, "Olga Tokarczuk’s Novels Against Nationalism," 29 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'renovate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of renovate

1535, in the meaning defined at sense 2

History and Etymology for renovate

Latin renovatus, past participle of renovare, from re- + novare to make new, from novus new — more at new

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More Definitions for renovate

renovate

verb
How to pronounce renovate (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of renovate

: to make changes and repairs to (an old house, building, room, etc.) so that it is back in good condition

See the full definition for renovate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

renovate

verb
ren·​o·​vate | \ ˈre-nə-ˌvāt How to pronounce renovate (audio) \
renovated; renovating

Kids Definition of renovate

: to put in good condition again The entire house is being renovated.

Other Words from renovate

renovator \ -​ˌvā-​tər \ noun

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More from Merriam-Webster on renovate

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with renovate

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for renovate

Spanish Central: Translation of renovate

Nglish: Translation of renovate for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of renovate for Arabic Speakers

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