Renew

Renew

Verb · /rɪˈnjuː/ · to make new again; to extend the period of validity; to restore or revive something that has lapsed or worn

Definition

To renew means to make something new again after it has aged, expired, or worn down. You renew a passport, renew a subscription, renew your energy after rest. The word carries the idea that something worth keeping does not have to be abandoned — it can be brought back to its original state, or simply extended so it remains valid and active.

Origin

From Middle English renewen, from re- (again) and newen (to make new), ultimately from Old English niwe (new). The idea of renewal as a spiritual and physical restoration is ancient — in religious texts, the soul is renewed, the earth renews in spring. The more bureaucratic sense — renewing documents, contracts, and licences — arrived with modern administration.