improvement
Americannoun
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a change or addition by which a thing is improved.
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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
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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
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the act of improving or the state of being improved
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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
- 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.
Supplies will carry on dwindling the longer disruption persists and crude prices could top $150 a barrel “if there is no improvement in sight” this month, Patricot wrote.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
"The improvement we saw is clinically meaningful. These workers were able to stay awake and alert throughout a full eight-hour shift, which has real implications for performance, safety, and quality of life," Czeisler said.
From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 2026
As for the new park replacing Golden Gate Fields, the improvement and changes are not likely to be completed for about five years.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
I am not sure endowing Sonny with a social conscience, presumably intended to point up the material’s contemporary relevance, is an improvement.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
It was only a faint improvement over the first one, bare and exposed to the wind.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
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.
