# improvement

Pronunciation: say "im-PROOV-muhnt" /ɪmˈpɹuːvmənt/

## Noun

1. The process of making something better, or of helping it grow and advance.
   - Simple: The action of making something better or helping it grow.
   - _The committee focused on the improvement of public transportation across the city._
   - _Steady improvement of the manufacturing process reduced waste significantly._
2. The condition of having been made better; the bettered state of something.
   - Simple: The condition something is in after it has gotten better.
   - _The patient's improvement was evident in her steady return to normal activities._
   - _Years of investment brought a marked improvement in the region's living standards._
3. An increase, growth, or forward advance in amount, level, or development.
   - Simple: An increase or step forward in amount, level, or quality.
   - _Economists noted a gradual improvement in employment figures throughout the year._
   - _The species' recovery marked a steady improvement in population numbers._
4. A thing or feature that has been made better than its earlier form.
   - Simple: A thing that has been made better than it was before.
   - _The redesigned engine is a clear improvement on last year's model._
   - _The software's latest features are genuine improvements over earlier versions._
5. A valuable addition or structure placed on land or property, such as a building, fence, drain, or cleared field, that raises its value.
   - Simple: Things added to land or property to make it more useful or worth more, like buildings or fences.
   - _The lease required the tenant to maintain all improvements on the premises._
   - _A new drainage system was the most valuable improvement to the estate._
6. An alteration or addition that makes an existing machine, manufactured article, or composition more useful.
   - Simple: A useful change or addition that makes a machine or product work better.
   - _The inventor filed a patent for an improvement to the cooling system._
   - _Many small improvements to the original design increased its efficiency._
7. The act of putting something to profitable use, or the practical application of a doctrine, principle, or theory set out in a discourse.
   - Simple: The useful putting into practice of an idea, lesson, or chance.
   - _The sermon closed with a practical improvement of the doctrine for everyday conduct._
   - _He urged the careful improvement of every opportunity that came his way._

## Origin

From Anglo-Norman emprouwement; by surface analysis it can be read as improve plus the suffix -ment.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/improvement (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).