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
-
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:
For this group, including the calcium score produced a more meaningful improvement in predicting future cardiovascular events.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
Matthews called that poise Iamaleava’s greatest improvement since the duo arrived in Westwood last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Reaching the $100 billion goal would be a huge improvement compared to where SpaceX was just a few months ago.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
All say they are investing in extra capacity, working through backlogs and redesigning pathways, and are already seeing early signs of improvement.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Don’t you think Commerce is a awful improvement over a pretty name like Harmony Grove?”
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
While vaccination rates in Ohio have fallen, Cleveland is making improvements — rates for children entering kindergarten there have jumped from 68 percent a few years ago to 76 percent this past school year.
From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2026
De Paula pointed to improvements across the board — defensively, physically, mentally.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2026
Some recommendations are already being implemented, such as enhanced video surveillance, while other structural improvements are in the process of being developed.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
The decline in student performance is a worrying development for the long-term economic outlook, since most economists believe that growth is partly driven by improvements in education levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Few of these improvements would have worked as well as they did without the ministrations of the lab’s newest employee.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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.
