actualizar

Actualizar is a Spanish verb meaning to update, bring up to date, or refresh something. It is used for information, software, data, records, prices, and knowledge, and can also refer to keeping a process or system current. The reflexive form, actualizarse, can indicate staying informed or bringing oneself up to date.

Etymology: Actualizar derives from the adjective actual, meaning current or present, which in turn comes from Latin actualis, from actus (act, doing). The verb is formed by adding the -izar suffix to the root actual-, producing a regular -ar verb. Cognates exist in other Romance languages, such as French actualiser; English uses actualize, though with a broader set of nuances.

Usage and meaning: Actualizar is transitive, so it requires a direct object (actualizar algo). It is commonly used with software (actualizar el sistema operativo), data (actualizar la base de datos), information (actualizar la página web), or knowledge (actualizarse sobre un tema). The reflexive form actualizarse can express staying current or refreshing oneself, as in actualizarse en tecnología o en noticias.

Conjugation note: Actualizar is regular in its endings. For example, present indicative forms include actualizo, actualizas, actualiza, actualizamos, actualizáis, actualizan. The yo form in the preterite is actualicé, reflecting a common orthographic change after c. Other tenses follow standard -ar verb patterns.

See also: actualización (the noun “update”), actualizable (updatable), actualizador (updater), actualización de software (software update).