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
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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
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:
On Friday, the Pope's doctors said tests had shown "a steady improvement in his general condition" since his procedure.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Meanwhile the currency area’s energy deficit widened following an improvement in July.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
While representing a slight improvement from the second quarter's 4.3 percent, the reading would fall short of the government's target for this year of 4.5-5.0 percent -- itself the lowest goal in decades.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
“California has made important strides in expanding student supports and opportunities, but the pace of academic improvement reminds us that our work is far from finished,” Thurmond said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
I notice an instant improvement in Dad’s mood at the mention of fast food.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Those figures cover more than AI, but they show the scale of the business and investment that efficiency improvements must support.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Officials have completed road improvements along the detour route and will deploy traffic control officers at 18 key intersections during the bridge’s full closure.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
But De Barbeyrac said the improvements become clearer the more you play.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Despite these improvements, established behavioral risk factors were still associated with a substantial proportion of cancer cases.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
The truth, of course, was that any warnings he may have issued about the dangers of the lab’s physical environment were drowned out by his endless demands and tight deadlines for improvements to the machine.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
