enhancement
Americannoun
Other Word Forms
- self-enhancement noun
Etymology
Origin of enhancement
Explanation
An enhancement makes something better. An enhancement to your recipe makes it taste better. An enhancement to your outfit makes it look snappier. An enhancement to your camera lens makes it take clearer photos. The noun enhancement comes from the verb enhance, meaning "to increase or improve," and it can describe anything that's an improvement to the quality or value of something. People might make surgical enhancements to their faces and bodies to make themselves look better — otherwise known as plastic surgery — although this type of enhancement that is somewhat controversial. Those who do it believe it's an enhancement to their quality of life, since they feel better about themselves.
Vocabulary lists containing enhancement
Vocabulary from "There Will Never Be an Age of Artificial Intimacy," by Sherry Turkle
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The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty
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Lessons 2–3
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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.
Experts warned that the line between enhancement and content generation, accidentally or intentionally, was a thin one.
From Barron's • Mar. 10, 2026
Scientists refer to this effect as the momentum enhancement factor.
From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026
The Chinese online entertainment platform’s 4Q advertising segment performed better than expected, partly thanks to algorithm improvement and efficiency enhancement brought by AI technology adoption, they note.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Proposed improvements including water quality enhancement for recreational use, vendor spaces, tree planting, and nonprofit programming represent genuine commitment to community welfare.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 22, 2026
“Ingestible Knowledge isn’t just a theory, Dr. Blackbridge. Cognitive enhancement through the bloodstream is possible! This boy is proof! Living proof! I did it.”
From "The Smartest Kid in the Universe" by Chris Grabenstein
Definitions 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.
