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Definition of emend

emend

/ɪˈmɛnd/
e · mend
Adjective:emendatory
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Past Simple:emended
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Past Participle:emended
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Present Participle:emending
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emend Lexical Profile

emend Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To make corrections and improvements to a text or manuscript by critical editing.

Example

"The philologist spent years working to emend the corrupted passages of the medieval manuscript."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for emend
Antonyms
View all antonyms for emend

Word Nuance & Usage

Often confused with 'amend'; while 'amend' broadly means to alter or improve something (such as a law or behavior), 'emend' specifically refers to making scholarly or editorial corrections to a text.

• Rhymes for emend

• Nearby Words

embryonic
emcee
emen falls
emend
emerald
emerald falls
emerald swift

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from Latin 'emendare', meaning 'to free from fault', formed from 'ex-' (out) and 'menda' (fault or blemish). It shares the same ultimate Latin root as 'amend' and 'mend'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Emend. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/emend
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