Renovating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The act encompasses the enhancement or modernization of a space or structure while also restoring its original features and improving its overall functionality
2. This process includes updating, repairing, and transforming a building or area to better meet current requirements or to revitalize its aesthetic appeal
3. The procedure entails making improvements or updates to a building or environment to restore its functionality and enhance its visual appeal or overall value

Etymology: "Renovating" is the present participle of "renovate," which came into English in Middle English as "renovat," meaning "renewed," borrowed from the Latin past participle "renovatus," the form of "renovare," "to renew." The Latin verb is built from "re-," "again," and "novus," "new," so the whole word is essentially "make new again." The English adjective appeared first, around 1440, and the verb followed in 1535. The word has kept its original sense of making something new, though the sense has narrowed over time. The Latin base "novus" is also the source of words like "novel" and "novice," which share the idea of something fresh or recently arrived. "Renovate" turns up in English as a verb of restoration, so a renovated house is one given fresh life rather than one replaced entirely.

Synonyms: restoring, repairing