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:
The 43-year-old technology executive from London talked about where she thought Net-a-Porter was succeeding and some areas for improvement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
It is a bleak little consumer triumph: the system has managed to make a moral improvement feel exactly like the thing it replaced.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Water voles have been functionally extinct in Surrey since the early 2000s, but co-ordinated reintroduction and habitat improvement efforts by nature restoration groups are working to help the endearing species thrive again.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
The “biggest, most consequential” improvement is what Agility has done to make Digit safer, according to Jonathan Hurst, Agility’s co-founder and chief robot officer.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
As the Cotswold sees improvement, workers coming and going and restoring, it is like she expects to see the same measure of improvement in me.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
Balkey says she started seeing improvements in her symptoms within about two months, though acknowledges some of it is also attributable to the surgery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
However, the supplement did not reproduce the broader improvements in physical aging traits seen after Menin restoration.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Of her patients who take GLP-1s for such conditions, nearly 80% report less joint pain and better function, she said, though it can take three to six months for patients to see improvements in symptoms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
"The industry remains committed to improving communication with customers and showing clearly how their money is being used to deliver the improvements they expect," the spokesperson added.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
But that was the last time he ever put a dime into improvements.
From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns
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.
