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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.

This improvement helped increase the detection of viral RNA from pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, as well as DNA from other infectious agents.

From Science Daily

Survey director Joanne Hsu said interviews conducted before the conflict began showed an improvement in sentiment from February, but that improvement disappeared in interviews in the nine days after.

From The Wall Street Journal

“If the spring homebuying season really kicks higher because of an improvement in affordability, we really need to have inventory,” says Yun.

From Barron's

In addition to cutting pollution, several experiments reported improvements in brake thermal efficiency.

From Science Daily

Management signaled that ARR could see improvement in the second half of the year — meaning that investors are still waiting for a “show-me” moment regarding AI adoption.

From MarketWatch