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Enhance Has Latin Roots
When enhance was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it literally meant to raise something higher. That sense, though now obsolete, provides a clue about the origins of the word. Enhance, which was spelled enhauncen in Middle English, comes to us from Anglo-French enhaucer or enhauncer ("to raise"), which can be traced back to the Latin altus ("high") by way of an assumed Vulgar Latin verb inaltiare, which would have been formed by combining the prefix in- with the Latin altus. Although enhance initially applied only to physically making things higher, it developed an additional and less literal sense of "to exalt especially in rank or spirit," and quickly acquired extended figurative senses for raising the value or attractiveness of something or someone.
Synonyms
Examples of enhance in a Sentence
Jordan Galloway, SELF, 30 Jan. 2025
Tennant explains that, in recent years, compression socks have become a staple for triathletes and marathon runners looking to enhance performance and recovery.
—Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 30 Jan. 2025
Supporters argue that tougher enforcement measures enhance public safety by removing individuals, while critics warn of potential overreach and civil rights concerns.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
President Trump is pushing legal boundaries by design — testing the limits of his own power and the willingness of a conservative high court to enhance it.
—Sam Baker, Axios, 30 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Enhance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enhance. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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enhance
verb
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