Change | Mean of change in English Dictionary

/ˈtʃeɪnʤ/

• Verb
• to become different
1. Her mood changes every hour.
2. He's changed in appearance. = His appearance has changed.
3. The leaves change (in color) from green to red in the fall.
4. The cars were stopped, waiting for the light/lights to change (from red to green).
5. My, how you've changed!
6. He changed from an optimist to/into a pessimist.
7. The town has changed little in recent years.
8. the changing times
9. the ever-changing [=constantly changing] fashions of teenagers
• to make (someone or something) different
1. These events have changed me in my attitude to/toward life.
2. He's changed his appearance with a new haircut. = His new haircut has changed his appearance.
3. You can't change human nature.
4. Life changed him from an optimist into a pessimist.
5. The leaves change color from green to red in the fall.
6. She changed up her daily routine.
7. We need to change things up a little.
• to become something else
1. Winter changed to/into spring.
2. The magician made the rope change into a ribbon and then change back into a rope.

• to replace one thing or person with another
1. She changed her name when she got married.
2. We'll have a better view if we change our seats for better ones. [=if we move to better seats]
3. Could you change my appointment (from Monday) to Friday?
4. change a record/CD
5. France has changed its monetary unit from the franc to the euro.
6. She's thinking about changing jobs/dentists. [=about leaving her current job/dentist and going to a new one]
7. change the channel on the TV
8. change a (flat) tire [=replace a flat tire with one that is not flat]
9. Let's change the subject. [=let's talk about a different subject]
10. I've changed my opinion/views on that subject. [=my opinion on that subject is different now from what it was before]
11. The police did not believe her because she had changed her story. [=she said something different from what she had said before]
12. While watching TV, he would constantly change from one channel to another.
13. France has changed from the franc to the euro.
14. The U.S. has been slow to change to the metric system.
• to move from one position, place, etc., to another
1. Mary changed [=exchanged, switched] places/seats with John. = John and Mary changed places/seats (with each other).
2. He may be rich and famous but I wouldn't change places with him for anything in the world.
3. He was opposed to the project at first, but then he changed sides and voted in favor of it.
4. Neither of them liked his seat so they changed with each other.
• to exchange one kind of money for another kind
1. change money from dollars into pounds = change dollars into/for pounds
• to exchange a larger bill for an equal amount in smaller bills or coins
1. I need to change [=break] a $10 bill: can you give me a five and five ones?
• to put on different clothes
1. Let me change out of this suit into something more comfortable.
2. Do they still change (to more formal clothes) for dinner?
3. I'll need a few minutes to change before we go out.
4. I'll need a few minutes to change my clothes before we go out.
• to put clean clothes on (a baby)
1. change a baby = change a baby's diaper [=remove a baby's dirty diaper and replace it with a clean one]
• to put a fresh covering on (a bed)
1. change a bed = change the sheets on a bed [=remove dirty sheets from a bed and replace them with clean ones]
• to move from one plane, train, etc., to another in order to continue a journey
1. We'll have to change planes in Chicago. [=we'll have to get on another plane in Chicago]
2. On the bus trip he had to change twice.
• to change the order or positions of the parts of (something)
1. When I got back everything in my office had been changed around.
2. The schedule has been changed around a little.
• to change to a lower gear in a motor vehicle
1. Change down to go uphill.
• to go from one owner to another
1. The property has changed hands many times in recent decades. [=the property has been sold many times]
2. The restaurant recently changed hands. [=the restaurant was recently bought by a new owner]
• to go from one system, method, etc., to another or to change (one system, method, etc.) to another
1. It will take a week to change over from the old computer network to the new one.
2. It will take a week to change the old computer network over to the new one.
• to change to a higher gear in a motor vehicle
1. Change up on the highway.
• Noun
• the act, process, or result of changing: such as
• the act of becoming different or of causing someone or something to become different
1. There has been little if any change in her daily routine.
2. You shouldn't be afraid of change. Change is a natural part of life.
3. The terms of this contract are subject to change without notice. [=the terms can be changed at any time]
4. The years have brought many changes to the town's economy.
5. We need to make some changes in/to the system.
6. Many voters believe that it's time for a change.
7. We've had to make a slight change in the schedule.
8. There has been a change in/to our plans. = There's been a change of plan. [=we have changed our plans]
9. a change for the better [=an improvement]
10. a change for the worse
• the act of replacing one thing with another
1. a change of address/name
2. changes of mood/attitude/tone
3. I enjoy the change of seasons every year. [=I enjoy seeing the seasons change from winter to spring, etc.]
4. The car needs an oil change. [=needs to have the old, dirty oil removed and replaced with clean oil]
• the act of moving from one plane, train, etc., to another in order to continue a journey
1. If you take this flight you'll need to make a change (of planes) in Chicago. [=you'll need to change planes in Chicago]
• something that is different from what is usual or expected
1. We've been so busy that a quiet day at home was a welcome change.
2. We eat at home a lot, so dining out sometimes is/makes a nice change.
3. (chiefly Brit) So you've done the cooking for once in your life! Well, that makes a change!
4. I've been stuck here in the city for months. I could really use a change of scene/scenery. = (chiefly Brit) I could really use a change of air. [=I would like to go somewhere else for a time]
• smaller bills or coins that are given for a larger bill
1. Have you got change for a $10 bill?
• the money returned when a payment is more than the amount needed
1. It cost $9 and I gave you $10, so I should be getting $1 in change.
2. “It costs $9.” “Here's $10. You can keep the change.”
3. (US) Can you make change for a twenty? [=can you give me change if I pay with a $20 bill?]
• money in the form of coins
1. I've got a $10 bill and about $3 in change. [=coins]
2. a pocketful of loose change
3. The beggar asked us if we had any spare change. [=a small amount of money that we did not need]
• a clean set of clothes that someone can wear if they are needed
1. For a weekend in the country you'll need several changes of clothes.
2. The only extra clothes he took with him were a pair of socks and a change of underwear.
• and a very small additional amount
1. There's only six minutes and change left in the game. [=there's only a little more than six minutes left in the game]
• as something different from what is usual
1. Let's eat out for a change.
2. Why don't you help me out for a change instead of me always helping you?!