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Synonyms

improvement

American  
[im-proov-muhnt] / ɪmˈpruv mənt /

noun

  1. an act of improving or the state of being improved.

  2. a change or addition by which a thing is improved.

  3. 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
  4. a bringing into a more valuable or desirable condition, as of land or real property; betterment.

    Synonyms:
    repair, enhancement
  5. something done or added to real property that increases its value.

  6. profitable use, as of a period of time.


improvement British  
/ ɪmˈpruːvmənt /

noun

  1. the act of improving or the state of being improved

  2. something that improves, esp an addition or alteration

  3. alteration of the structure, fixtures, fittings, or decor of a building without changing its function Compare conversion

  4. (usually plural) a building or other works on a piece of land, adding to its value

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

But it would seem a serious oversight for Ms. Caroli not to mention that Simkhovitch’s housing triumph was not an unalloyed improvement.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Employers still don't seem to understand that public transport services cannot continue to function in the long term if we don't make decisive improvements to working conditions now."

From Barron's

But, it’s a significant improvement compared to 50% capacity last year.

From Los Angeles Times

Patients also showed improvements relative to placebo on key secondary goals of the trial including waist circumference, blood glucose and blood pressure, they added.

From The Wall Street Journal

Instead, she’s been stamped with a red “V” for “Vacuous” and labeled cinema’s number-one fraud, regardless of the merit, improvement and commitment to refining her vision demonstrated by her two most recent films.

From Salon