improvement

noun

im·​prove·​ment im-ˈprüv-mənt 

1

: the act or process of improving

improvement in the patient's condition

2

a

: the state of being improved

especially : enhanced value or excellence

I've noticed improvement in your work.

b

: an instance of such improvement : something that enhances value or excellence

The editor made some improvements to the article.

Synonyms of improvement

• advance
• advancement
• enhancement
• breakthrough
• development

Examples of improvement in a Sentence

Doctors were amazed by the sudden improvement in her medical condition.

I've noticed a significant improvement in your work since the spring.

The editor made some improvements to the article before it was printed.

They spent the money on new kitchen cabinets and other home improvements.

Recent Examples on the Web

Without documenting the starting point, claims of improvement become difficult to assess. — Scott Keever, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026

On Saturday, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei said the Hugging Face incident partly persuaded him to call for slowing the pace of AI model improvement. — Jordan Novet, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference, the Uber CEO said savings from the company’s thousands of layoffs could translate into lower prices, among other improvements. — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2026

Like other rookies such as Ben Malgeri and Brett Callahan, Lee brings an intriguing skill set but still has plenty of room for improvement. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing improvement

• home-improvement
• self-improvement

Rhymes for improvement

• movement

Kids Definition

improvement

noun

im·​prove·​ment im-ˈprüv-mənt 

1

: the act or process of improving

2

a

: increased value or excellence

b

: something that adds to the value or appearance (as of a house)

Legal Definition

improvement

noun

im·​prove·​ment

: a usually permanent addition to or modification of real property that enhances its capital value and is distinguished from an ordinary repair in being designed to make the property more useful or valuable