ameliorate

C2+ Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /əˈmiljəˌreɪt/ UK /əˈmiːliəreɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to make better or more tolerable; to improve

New policies aim to ameliorate the housing shortage.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make better or more... improve better amend upgrade enhance mitigate alleviate

Opposites

worsen aggravate deteriorate exacerbate impair

Word family

Forms amelioratedamelioration

Derived forms ameliorationameliorativeameliorator

Related forms melioratemeliorism

Etymology

An alteration of earlier meliorate (influenced by French ameliorer), from Late Latin meliorare ('to make better'), from Latin melior ('better').

meliorare Latin melior Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process Word Formation & Derivatives

# ameliorate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** əˈmiljəˌreɪt
**IPA (UK):** əˈmiːliəreɪt

## Meanings
1. to make better or more tolerable; to improve

## Examples
- New policies aim to ameliorate the housing shortage.

## Synonyms
- improve
- better
- amend
- upgrade
- enhance
- mitigate
- alleviate

## Antonyms
- worsen
- aggravate
- deteriorate
- exacerbate
- impair

## Derived Forms
- amelioration
- ameliorative
- ameliorator

## Related Forms
- meliorate
- meliorism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: meliorare
- Root: melior

## Etymology
An alteration of earlier meliorate (influenced by French ameliorer), from Late Latin meliorare ('to make better'), from Latin melior ('better').

## AI Etymology
Ameliorate is an alteration of earlier meliorate (influenced by French ameliorer), from Late Latin meliorare ('to make better'), from Latin melior ('better'). In present-day use, it means to make better or more tolerable; to improve. Derived formations include amelioration, ameliorative, and ameliorator. Related vocabulary includes meliorate and meliorism.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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ameliorate

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