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renew
/rɪˈnuː/
to restore or extend
She decided to renew her gym membership for another year.
She extended her gym membership for another year.
general
to restore something to a previous state or condition
The rain helped renew the dry soil.
The rain restored moisture to the dry soil.
Often used for restoring energy, strength, or vitality.
LawBusiness
formal
to extend the duration of something, such as a contract or license
The company chose to renew its lease for the office space.
The company extended its lease agreement for the office space.
Common in legal and business contexts.
general
to make something new again, often by replacing parts or refreshing it
We need to renew our website design to keep it modern.
We need to refresh our website design to keep it up-to-date.
Used for updating or revitalizing something.
Collocations
renew a subscriptionto extend a subscriptionrenew a contractto extend a contractrenew a licenseto extend a licenserenew one's energyto restore one's energy
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Common Usage
Use 'renew' when something is being restored, extended, or refreshed.
Gold Rule
Formal vs. Informal
In formal contexts, 'renew' often refers to extending contracts or licenses. In informal contexts, it can mean restoring energy or vitality.
Word Origin
From Middle English 'renewen', from Old French 'renover', from Latin 'renovare' (to renew), from 're-' (again) + 'novus' (new).
Usage Notes
Can be used both literally (restoring something) and figuratively (extending something's duration).
Word Breakdown
re-
again
prefix-new
fresh or different
rootEnglish Dictionary