change

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See also changé

Contents

English [edit]

Pronunciation [edit]

Etymology 1 [edit]

As a noun, from Middle English cha(u)nge, from Anglo-Norman chaunge, from Old French change, from a derivative of the verb changier. See below for the verb form. See also exchange.

Noun [edit]

change (plural changes)

  1. (countable) The process of becoming different.
    The product is undergoing a change in order to improve it.
  2. (uncountable) Small denominations of money given in exchange for a larger denomination.
    Can I get change for this $100 bill please?
  3. (countable) A replacement, e.g. a change of clothes
    • 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, BBC:
      After beating champions Chelsea 3-1 on Boxing Day, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made eight changes to his starting XI in an effort to freshen things up, with games against Birmingham and Manchester City to come in the next seven days.
  4. (uncountable) Money given back when a customer hands over more than the exact price of an item.
    A customer who pays with a 10-pound note for a £9 item receives one pound in change.
  5. (countable) A transfer between vehicles.
    The train journey from Bristol to Nottingham includes a change at Birmingham.
  6. (baseball) A change-up pitch.
Usage notes [edit]
  • Adjectives often applied to "change": big, small, major, minor, dramatic, drastic, rapid, slow, gradual, radical, evolutionary, revolutionary, abrupt, sudden, unexpected, incremental, social, economic, organizational, technological, personal, cultural, political, technical, environmental, institutional, educational, genetic, physical, chemical, industrial, geological, global, local, good, bad, positive, negative, significant, important, structural, strategic, tactical.
Synonyms [edit]

(the process of becoming different): transition, transformation

Related terms [edit]
Derived terms [edit]
Derived terms
Translations [edit]
the process of becoming different
small denominations of money given in exchange for a larger denomination
a replacement
a transfer between vehicles
baseball: a change-up pitch
money given back
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
See also [edit]

Etymology 2 [edit]

As a verb, via Middle English cha(u)ngen, from Anglo-Norman chaunger, from Old French changier (compare modern French changer), from Late Latin cambiāre < Latin cambīre, present active infinitive of cambiō (“exchange, barter”), of Celtic origin, from Proto-Celtic *kamb- (“crooked, bent”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱamb-, *(s)kamb- (“crooked”). Cognate with Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Romanian schimb, Spanish cambiar. Used in English since the 13th Century.

Verb [edit]

change (third-person singular simple present changes, present participle changing, simple past and past participle changed)

  1. (intransitive) To become something different.
    The tadpole changed into a frog.
    Stock prices are constantly changing.
  2. (transitive, ergative) To make something into something different.
    The fairy changed the frog into a prince.
    I had to change the wording of the ad so it would fit.
  3. (transitive) To replace.
    Ask the janitor to come and change the lightbulb.
    After a brisk walk, I washed up and changed my shirt.
  4. (intransitive) To replace one's clothing.
    You can't go into the dressing room while she's changing.
    The clowns changed into their costumes before the circus started.
  5. (intransitive) To transfer to another vehicle (train, bus, etc.)
  6. (archaic) To exchange.
    • 1610, The Tempest, by William Shakespeare, act 1 scene 2
      At the first sight / they have changed eyes. (exchanged looks)
    • 1662 Thomas Salusbury, Galileo's Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems (Dialogue 2):
      I would give any thing to change a word or two with this person.
Synonyms [edit]
  • (to make something different): alter, modify
  • (to make something into something different): transform
Derived terms [edit]
Derived terms
Translations [edit]
to become something different
to make something into something different
to replace
to replace one's own clothing
to transfer to another vehicle
The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Help:How to check translations.
Translations to be checked
References [edit]

Statistics [edit]

French [edit]

Etymology [edit]

Deverbal from changer (corresponding to Old French change). Cf. Medieval and Late Latin cambium.

Pronunciation [edit]

  • IPA: /ʃɑ̃ʒ/

Noun [edit]

change m (plural changes)

  1. exchange

Verb [edit]

change

  1. first-person singular present indicative of changer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of changer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of changer
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of changer
  5. second-person singular imperative of changer

Related terms [edit]

Jèrriais [edit]

Etymology [edit]

From French and English change

Noun [edit]

change m (plural changes)

  1. change
  2. exchange rate
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