Bonify

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈbəʊnɪfaɪ/

Definitions

1. To make something better or improve its quality or value
2. To enhance or upgrade something, increasing its worth or goodness
3. To improve by adding value or making more effective or beneficial

Etymology: "Bonify" is a plain, technical-sounding coinage, built from the Latin root "bonus" meaning "good" and the verb-forming suffix "-ify," which comes from Latin "-ficare," meaning "to make." Put together, the word literally means "to make good," which is exactly what it still does today. The path into English ran through French. The French verb "bonifier" (to improve, to make better) gave English the form, and the English word carries the same sense of improvement, especially of land, property, or quality. Its appearance is a reminder that many English verbs ending in "-ify" were borrowed from French or Latin, where the pattern was productive for turning adjectives and nouns into verbs.

Synonyms: enhance, improve

Antonyms: diminish