Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To raise to a higher grade or standard.
  • intransitive verb To replace (a software program) with a more recently released, enhanced version.
  • intransitive verb To replace (a hardware device) with one that provides better performance.
  • intransitive verb To improve the quality of (livestock or crops) through breeding.
  • intransitive verb To exchange a possession for one of greater value or quality; trade up.
  • intransitive verb Computers To replace software or hardware with an upgrade.
  • noun The act or an instance of upgrading.
  • noun A software program that provides added enhancements over an earlier version.
  • noun A hardware device that provides greater performance than an earlier model.
  • noun An upward incline.
  • adverb & adjective Uphill.
  • idiom (on the upgrade) Improving or progressing.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • In stock-raising, to raise the grade of by the introduction of a higher strain of blood: as, to upgrade a herd.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun an improved component or replacement item, usually applied to technology
  • verb to improve, usually applied to technology, generally by complete replacement of one or more components
  • verb to replace an existing object with something better
  • verb computing to replace a program with a later version of itself, a version having a higher version number or marketed under a more recent product name

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb give better travel conditions to
  • verb get better travel conditions
  • verb to improve what was old or outdated
  • noun a reservation that is improved
  • verb rate higher; raise in value or esteem
  • noun the property possessed by a slope or surface that rises
  • verb give a promotion to or assign to a higher position
  • noun hardware that provides better performance than an earlier version did
  • noun the act of improving something (especially machinery) by raising it to a higher grade (as by adding or replacing components)
  • noun an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
  • noun software that provides better performance than an earlier version did

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From up + grade.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word upgrade.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.