improvement
Americannoun
-
improvements
plural
-
a change or addition by which a thing is improved.
-
a person or thing that represents an advance on another in excellence or achievement.
The new landlord is a great improvement over his greedy predecessor.
- Synonyms:
- advancement, betterment, refinement
-
a bringing into a more valuable or desirable condition, as of land or real property; betterment.
- Synonyms:
- repair, enhancement
-
something done or added to real property that increases its value.
-
profitable use, as of a period of time.
noun
-
the act of improving or the state of being improved
-
something that improves, esp an addition or alteration
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alteration of the structure, fixtures, fittings, or decor of a building without changing its function Compare conversion
-
(usually plural) a building or other works on a piece of land, adding to its value
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of improvement
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English improuement, from Anglo-French emprouement “something profitable (especially exploitation of land)”; see improve, -ment
Explanation
When there's improvement, something is getting better. Going from a C to an A in math is an improvement. If you want to improve something, you've got to make improvements. Lots of people strive for personal improvement: maybe it's losing a few pounds for an improvement in their appearance, or reading more for an improvement in intelligence. Businesses look for improvement in customer service or profitability. Any change for the better or step in the right direction is an improvement.
Vocabulary lists containing improvement
"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 6
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 13
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-ment
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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.
See Examples For:
Those were the Dons’ final two regular-season games, and if they continue their improvement, who knows what could happen against the Pirates on Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2026
Hashimoto, 57 years old, most recently served as managing director and business improvement sector leader at BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 11, 2026
The improvement from the prior month reflected a significant moderation in energy price increases from September.
From Barron's ● Nov. 10, 2026
The apparent improvement coincides with a period of warmer, drier-than-average springs and summers.
From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026
“Every day I look for decided improvement and thus far everyday, I am disappointed.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
It also noted accessibility improvements to the game, such as reducing the number of clicks required to navigate its menus, and the ability to customise the way information is displayed.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
“Most physicians working in private equity-backed practices reported improvements in patient access, the addition of new practices or expanded medical services, and operational capacity,” said the release.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
They also described meaningful improvements in their ability to function physically.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
Sales in the North American beef business rose 4.3% to $7.56 billion, benefiting from improvements in the operating environment throughout the quarter including the reopening of certain U.S.-Mexico cattle crossings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
Snowball had made a close study of some back numbers of the Farmer and Stockbreeder which he had found in the farmhouse, and was full of plans for innovations and improvements.
From "Animal Farm: A Fairy Story" by George Orwell
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
