melioration

American  

[meel-yuh-ray-shuhn, mee-lee-uh-] / ˌmil jəˈreɪ ʃən, ˌmi li ə- /

noun

1. Historical Linguistics. semantic change in a word to a more approved or more respectable meaning.

2. amelioration.

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melioration British  

/ ˌmiːlɪəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of improving or the state of being improved

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Etymology

Origin of melioration

1620–30; < Late Latin meliōrātiōn- (stem of meliōrātiō ), equivalent to meliōrāt ( us ) ( see meliorate) + -iōn- -ion

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melioration

But professional reformation or melioration is usually an organic, incremental process.

From BusinessWeek ● Nov. 22, 2011

While disappointments and misfortunes are often the origin of insanity, a sudden melioration in circumstances, and unexpected pleasing intelligence have been also known to derange the intellects.

From Curiosities of Medical Experience by J. G. (John Gideon) Millingen

"The condition of mankind is in a state of melioration, as far as misery arises from ignorance, for as the world grows older it must grow wiser, if wisdom arises from experience."

From Answer to Dr. Priestley's Letters to a Philosophical Unbeliever by Matthew Turner

But the seeds from a young tree, having itself the tendency to melioration, are more likely to produce improved sorts.

From American Pomology Apples by J. A. Warder

The great melioration of human society which modern times exhibit, is mainly due to the incomplete substitution of the system of voluntary labor for the one of servile labor, which has already taken place.

From American Eloquence, Volume 3 Studies In American Political History (1897) by Alexander Johnston

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