improvement
Americannoun
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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
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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
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the act of improving or the state of being improved
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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
- nonimprovement noun
- preimprovement noun
Etymology
Origin of improvement
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English improuement, from Anglo-French emprouement “something profitable (especially exploitation of land)”; improve, -ment
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.
The procedure appeared to be successful, and scans were showing improvements - but then Maddie went into premature labour at 29 weeks, just hours after she and husband Michael held a baby shower for their son.
From BBC
In both groups, weight loss successfully restored healthy blood glucose control, showing that key metabolic improvements occur regardless of age.
From Science Daily
By the second year of the ban, students in the most phone-heavy schools showed improvements in testing, even after taking overall postpandemic increases into account.
City have won seven of their past eight Premier League games so it appears the changes are working, but Guardiola has unrelenting standards and sees potential areas for improvement.
From BBC
Beyond the macroeconomic trends, improvements in battery and motor technology mean that robots are becoming more adept at mimicking human motion and can work for longer periods.
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.
