Added 8 October 2026
change
/ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ/ verb
In Latin: cambiō, mūtor Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about change at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
noun
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The process or result of becoming different.
The product is undergoing a change in order to improve it.
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Small denominations of money given in exchange for a larger denomination.
Can I get change for this $100 bill, please?
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A replacement.
a change of clothes
Origin
From Middle English changen, chaungen, from Old French changier, from Late Latin cambiāre, from Latin cambīre (“to exchange, barter”), derived from the noun cambium (“change”) (whence was loaned the English doublet cambium), from Gaulish cambion, earlier *kambyom (“change”), related to Proto-Celtic *kambos (“twisted, crooked”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ḱh₂(e)mbos, *(s)kh₂(e)mbos (“crooked”). More at skimp, scam; see also Proto-Indo-European *kh₂em-. Cognate with Italian cambiare, Portuguese cambiar, Romanian schimba, Sicilian canciari, Spanish cambiar. Used in English since the 13th century. Displaced Middle English wenden, from wendan (“to turn, change”) (whence wend).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)