improvement

noun

im-PROOV-muhnt/ɪmˈpɹuːvmənt/

7 meanings of improvement

1
nouncountable or uncountable
The action of making something better or helping it grow.
Like a plant that grows taller and stronger each week.
Daily practice led to a big improvement in her reading.
We saw real improvement in the team after the new coach arrived.
Similarbetterment, enhancement, development, upgrading, advancement
Oppositedeterioration, decline, worsening, degradation
Note
2
nouncountable or uncountable
The condition something is in after it has gotten better.
There has been a clear improvement in his health since the surgery.
The garden showed real improvement after months of care.
Similarrecovery, progress, advance, betterment, upturn
Oppositedeterioration, decline, worsening, relapse
3
nouncountable or uncountable
An increase or step forward in amount, level, or quality.
The town saw steady improvement in its economy over ten years.
Sales showed a small improvement this month.
Similarincrease, rise, growth, gain, upturn
Oppositedecline, decrease, fall, downturn
Note
4
nouncountable
A thing that has been made better than it was before.
Like a new bike that works better than your old one.
The new phone is a real improvement over the old one.
These changes are improvements that everyone noticed.
Similaradvance, upgrade, enhancement, refinement
Oppositedowngrade
5
nouncountableplural
Things added to land or property to make it more useful or worth more, like buildings or fences.
The new barn was a costly improvement to the farm.
The improvements on the land raised its sale price.
Similaraddition, enhancement, upgrade
Note
6
nouncountable
A useful change or addition that makes a machine or product work better.
Her improvement to the engine made it use less fuel.
The factory patented several improvements to the assembly line.
Similarmodification, refinement, enhancement, upgrade, addition
Note
7
nouncountable or uncountable
The useful putting into practice of an idea, lesson, or chance.
The preacher ended with the improvement of his main lesson for daily life.
She made good improvement of the little time she had left.
Similarapplication, use, utilization
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from an Anglo-Norman word. It can also be seen as "improve" plus "-ment."