improvement

B1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ɪmˈpɹuːvmənt/ See IPA manual

Freq #8566

Meanings

1

noun
The process of making something better.

There is room for improvement in your essay.
2

noun
A change that makes something better than before.

The new bridge is a big improvement on the old one.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a change that makes... bettermentmelioration

More ameliorationimproval

Opposites

deterioration disimprovement worsening

Word family

Forms improvements

Derived forms disimprovementmisimprovementnonimprovementoverimprovementpareto-improvementpseudoimprovementunimprovement

Related forms uplift

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

home improvement
work done to repair, update, or enhance a home

Noun + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

There is always room for improvement

Simplified etymology

Improvement was originally spelled emprowement and meant “profitable management” or “profit.” It came from Anglo-Norman French and was based on Old French prou, “profit,” ultimately derived from Latin prodest, “is of advantage.”

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman emprouwement. By surface analysis, improve + -ment.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# improvement

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpɹuːvmənt/
**Frequency rank:** 8566

## Meanings
1. The process of making something better.
2. A change that makes something better than before.

## Examples
- There is room for improvement in your essay.
- The new bridge is a big improvement on the old one.

## Synonyms
- amelioration
- improval

## Antonyms
- deterioration
- disimprovement
- worsening

## Derived Forms
- disimprovement
- misimprovement
- nonimprovement
- overimprovement
- pareto-improvement
- pseudoimprovement
- unimprovement

## Related Forms
- uplift

## Etymology
From Anglo-Norman emprouwement. By surface analysis, improve + -ment.

## AI Etymology
Improvement comes from Anglo-Norman emprouwement. By surface analysis, improve + -ment. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. In current use, the main senses are “The process of making something better” and “A change that makes something better than before”.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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