means To bring something up to date by adding the latest information, corrections, or features — or the new version itself that results.

from Built straightforwardly from 'up' plus 'date,' the noun 'date' coming through Old French from Latin 'data,' meaning 'given' (as in a thing dated, or given, at a certain time). 'Up to date' as a phrase came first; the verb 'update' is a comparatively modern back-formation, gaining real momentum in the 20th century once machines started needing constant freshening.