ameliorative

American

[uh-meel-yuh-rey-tiv, -mee-lee-uh-] / əˈmil yəˌreɪ tɪv, -ˈmi li ə- /

Rarely amelioratory

adjective

making or intended to make something better, more bearable, or more satisfactory.

Our objective is to make ameliorative changes that protect children more effectively and build a safer future for families.

Other Word Forms

unameliorative adjective

Etymology

Origin of ameliorative

ameliorat(e) ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And she said, “this one is better. It has these ameliorative features that the prior law didn’t have.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 10, 2020

Most of the ameliorative stretching exercises I found on YouTube blamed excessive desk work or smartphone use for such injuries.

From The Guardian • Nov. 19, 2019

The thrill of the ameliorative solution is built into our mythology of the modern, right there on Baker Street, by Arthur Conan Doyle.

From BBC • Nov. 1, 2014

The condition of the American people when the New Dealers assumed office demanded ameliorative action, and this they strived to deliver.

From Slate • Oct. 13, 2011

The landlords proceeded with their evictions, and the peasantry retaliated by outrage until the Liberal government, having failed to pass their ameliorative measure, was forced to have recourse to coercion.

From Donahoe's Magazine, Volume XV, No. 3 Volume XV (Jan 1886-Jul 1886) by Various

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023