renew

renew

English

Etymology

From Middle English renewen, an alteration (possibly on analogy with Latin renovāre) of earlier anewen (“to renew”), from Old English nīewian (“to restore; renovate; renew”), equivalent to re- +‎ new. Cognate with Old High German giniuwōn (“to renew”), Middle High German geniuwen (“to renew”), Old Norse nýja (“to renew”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈnjuː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈnu/

  • Audio (GA)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -uː
• Hyphenation: re‧new

Verb

renew (third-person singular simple present renews, present participle renewing, simple past and past participle renewed)

1. (transitive) To make (something) new again; to restore to freshness or original condition. [from 14^thc.]
   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene i]:

     In such a night
     Medea gather’d the enchanted herbs
     That did renew old Æson.

2. (transitive) To replace (something which has broken etc.); to replenish (something which has been exhausted), to keep up a required supply of. [from 14^thc.]
3. (theology) To make new spiritually; to regenerate. [from 14^thc.]
   • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], OCLC 762018299, Romans xij:[2]]:

     And fassion not youre selves lyke vnto this worlde: But be ye chaunged in youre shape by the renuynge of youre wittes that ye maye fele what thynge that good yt acceptable and perfaycte will of god is.

4. (now rare, intransitive) To become new, or as new; to revive. [15^th–18^thc.]
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970:

     , II.2.6.ii:

     […] to such as are in fear they strike a great impression, renew many times, and recal such chimeras and terrible fictions into their minds.

   • 1997 July, “Seeking Christian interiority: An interview with Louis Dupre”, in Christian Century, volume 114, number 21, page 654:

     But Christianity was a new religious force in Augustine's day. Today, as you say, its power to integrate culture has all but disappeared. Does Christianity still have the capacity to renew?

   • 2010 September, Michael Allen, "St. Louis Preservation Fund", St. Louis magazine, ISSN 1090-5723, Vol.16, Is.9, p.74:

     Renewing neighborhoods dealing with vacant buildings badly need options other than demolition or dangerous vacant spaces.

5. (transitive) To begin again; to recommence. [from 16^thc.]
   • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, OCLC 960102938:

     Then gan he all this storie to renew,
     And tell the course of his captivitie […]

   • 1660, John Dryden, translating Virgil, (apparently from Eclogue 4), a snippet of translation used to introduce Dryden's Astræa Redux: A poem on the happy restoration and return of His Sacred Majesty Charles II

     The last great age, foretold by sacred rhymes,
     Renews its finished course; Saturnian times
     Roll round again.

   • 1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter IX, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, OCLC 24962326:

     “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; […].
     Near her wandered her husband, orientally bland, invariably affable, and from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.

6. (rare) To repeat. [from 17^thc.]
   • 1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], OCLC 228722708; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554:

     The birds their notes renew, and bleating herds
     Attest their joy, that hill and valley rings.

7. (transitive, intransitive) To extend a period of loan, especially a library book that is due to be returned.

   I'd like to renew these three books.  Did you know that you can renew online?

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:repair

Related terms

• renewal

Translations

to make new again

Arabic: جَدَّدَ‎ (jaddada) Egyptian Arabic: جدد‎ (gaddad) Belarusian: абнаўля́ць impf (abnaŭljácʹ), абнаві́ць pf (abnavícʹ) Bulgarian: обновя́вам (bg) impf (obnovjávam), обновя́ pf (obnovjá) Catalan: renovar (ca) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Dutch: hernieuwen (nl) (used more in The Netherlands), vernieuwen (nl) (used more in Flanders) Finnish: uudistaa (fi) French: renouveler (fr) Galician: anovar (gl) Georgian: განახლება (ganaxleba), გაახლება (gaaxleba) German: erneuern (de) Gothic: 𐌰𐌽𐌰𐌽𐌹𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (ananiujan) Greek: ανανεώνω (el) (ananeóno) Ancient: ἀνανεόομαι (ananeóomai), καινόω (kainóō) Hungarian: megújít (hu) Irish: athnuaigh Japanese: 再創造する (さいそうぞうする, saisōzō suru) Maori: whakahou, tāmata Portuguese: renovar (pt) Romanian: înnoi (ro), reînnoi (ro), renova (ro) Russian: обновля́ть (ru) impf (obnovljátʹ), обнови́ть (ru) pf (obnovítʹ) Spanish: reanudar (es), renovar (es) Swedish: förnya (sv) Ukrainian: обновля́ти impf (obnovljáty), обно́влювати impf (obnóvljuvaty), обнови́ти pf (obnovýty), оновля́ти impf (onovljáty), оно́влювати impf (onóvljuvaty), онови́ти pf (onovýty), відно́влювати impf (vidnóvljuvaty), відновля́ти impf (vidnovljáty), віднови́ти pf (vidnovýty)

to substitute for a new one of the same nature

Bulgarian: подновя́вам (bg) impf (podnovjávam), подновя́ pf (podnovjá) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Dutch: hernieuwen (nl) (used more in The Netherlands), vernieuwen (nl) (used more in Flanders) Finnish: uusia (fi), vaihtaa (fi) German: erneuern (de) Hungarian: felújít (hu), kicserél (hu) Portuguese: renovar (pt) Russian: подновля́ть (ru) impf (podnovljátʹ), поднови́ть (ru) pf (podnovítʹ) Spanish: renovar (es)

to begin again; to recommence

Bulgarian: възобновя́вам (bg) impf (vǎzobnovjávam), възобновя́ pf (vǎzobnovjá) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Finnish: toistaa (fi), uusia (fi) Hungarian: megújít (hu), felújít (hu), újrakezd (hu) Portuguese: reiniciar (pt) Russian: возобновля́ть (ru) impf (vozobnovljátʹ), возобнови́ть (ru) pf (vozobnovítʹ) Spanish: reiniciar (es), recomenzar (es)

to repeat; to go over again

Arabic: جَدِد‎ (jadid) Bulgarian: повта́рям (bg) impf (povtárjam), повто́ря pf (povtórja) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Finnish: toistaa (fi) Hungarian: megismétel (hu), megújít (hu) Russian: повторя́ть (ru) impf (povtorjátʹ), повтори́ть (ru) pf (povtorítʹ) Spanish: renovar (es)

to make new spiritually; to regenerate

Bulgarian: възстановя́вам (bg) (vǎzstanovjávam), възстановя́ pf (vǎzstanovjá) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Finnish: uudistaa (fi) Russian: восстана́вливать (ru) impf (vosstanávlivatʹ), восстанови́ть (ru) pf (vosstanovítʹ) Spanish: renovar (es)

to become new, or as new

Bulgarian: обновя́вам се (bg) impf (obnovjávam se), обновя́ се pf (obnovjá se) Chinese: Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Finnish: uusiutua (fi), uudistua, elpyä (fi) Hungarian: megújul (hu), felújul, felfrissül, megújhodik (hu) Maori: whakahou Russian: обновля́ться (ru) impf (obnovljátʹsja), обнови́ться (ru) pf (obnovítʹsja) Spanish: renovar (es)

to extend a period of loan

Bulgarian: подновя́вам (bg) impf (podnovjávam), подновя́ pf (podnovjá) Chinese: Mandarin: 續借／续借 (zh) (xùjiè) Finnish: jatkaa (fi) Hungarian: meghosszabbít (hu), hosszabbít (hu) Russian: продлева́ть (ru) impf (prodlevátʹ), продли́ть (ru) pf (prodlítʹ) Spanish: renovar (es)

Noun

renew (plural renews)

1. Synonym of renewal

Derived terms

• urban renew

Anagrams

• newer, weren