improvement

American  

[im-proov-muhnt] / ɪmˈpruv mənt /

noun

• improvements
  plural

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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonimprovement
  noun
• preimprovement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• improvements
  plural

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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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

improvement improvements

Rams coach Sean McVay is eager to see improvement on special teams this week against the Cardinals after mistakes played a role in a loss to the Bills.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

I’d simply like us to question whether requiring a phone is always an improvement, and remember that convenience isn’t much of a convenience when opting out stops being possible.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

A statement from his doctors said blood tests and a chest X-ray showed "steady improvement" following his operation.

From BBC ● Oct. 17, 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

Howard had hair all right, but it was no big improvement because it started way above his ears and grew straight up, like grass.

From "The Best School Year Ever" by Barbara Robinson

These improvements suggest that TIMP2 influences how microglia respond to conditions within the brain.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 18, 2026

“She was going to build 36,000 new homes. She was going to improve our educational outcomes and make improvements to behavioral health in the state,” Horvick said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026

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

But De Barbeyrac said the improvements become clearer the more you play.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

One of the most popular improvements was a necrology, a list of the names of the dead, which began appearing in the third edition.

From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy

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Related Words

• advance
• advancement
• change
• development
• enhancement
• gain
• growth
• increase
• progress
• recovery
• renovation
• revision
• rise
• upgrade

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