improvement
Americannoun
-
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:
PayPal’s branded checkout is showing signs of improvement, with total payment volume in that area growing 2% in the second quarter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
He will want to see proof that Honda can deliver improvement - not least because he has prior experience from his time at McLaren from 2015-17 of Honda's promises not living up to reality.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Chief Executive Heidi Petz said the paint maker continues to outperform the market despite ongoing global uncertainty and no meaningful improvement in demand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Leather goods have returned to growth, the company said, and all global regions showed improvement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Every day I look for decided improvement and thus far everyday, I am disappointed.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Better Wi-Fi created the foundation to make other in-restaurant tech improvements, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The improvements were substantially greater when both proteins were present at normal levels.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
The tragic accident sparked renewed calls for safety improvements along the 21-mile section of PCH in Malibu, one of the deadliest roads in the state, where 63 people have died since 2010.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
It’s also unclear whether restricted eating times would help those who don’t need to lose weight or whether further curtailing the time of eating would make even greater improvements in cognition, Shapses said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Earthling figure who is most engaging to the Tralfamadorian mind, he says, is Charles Darwin—who taught that those who die are meant to die, that corpses are improvements.
From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
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.
