Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To raise to a more desirable or more excellent quality or condition; make better.
- intransitive verb To increase the productivity or value of (land or property).
- intransitive verb To become better.
- intransitive verb To make beneficial additions or changes.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To disapprove; censure; blame.
- To make better; ameliorate the condition of; increase in value, excellence, capability, estimation, or the like; bring into a better, higher, more desirable, or more profitable state: as, to
improve the mind by study; to improve the breeds of animals; to improve land by careful tillage. - To turn to advantage or account; use profitably; make use of: as, to
improve an opportunity; to improve the occasion. - To increase in force or amount; intensify in any respect.
- To grow better in any way; become more excellent or more favorable; advance in goodness, knowledge, wisdom, amount, value, etc.: as, his health is improving; the price of cotton improves daily.
- To increase; grow.
- To approve; prove; test.
- To disprove; prove false; refute.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb obsolete To disprove or make void; to refute.
- transitive verb obsolete To disapprove; to find fault with; to reprove; to censure.
- transitive verb To make better; to increase the value or good qualities of; to ameliorate by care or cultivation.
- transitive verb To use or employ to good purpose; to make productive; to turn to profitable account; to utilize
- transitive verb rare To advance or increase by use; to augment or add to; -- said with reference to what is bad.
- intransitive verb To grow better; to advance or make progress in what is desirable; to make or show improvement.
- intransitive verb To advance or progress in bad qualities; to grow worse.
- intransitive verb To increase; to be enhanced; to rise in value.
- intransitive verb to make useful additions or amendments to, or changes in; to bring nearer to perfection.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive to make (something)
better ; toincrease thevalue orproductivity (of something) - verb intransitive to become better
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb get better
- verb to make better
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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Seeing the living standards of the Chinese people improve is a good thing -- good because we want a stable China, and good because China can be a powerful market for American exports.
Job-Creation Idea No. 7: Drawing A Line With China The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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Seeing the living standards of the Chinese people improve is a good thing -- good because we want a stable China, and good because China can be a powerful market for American exports.
Job-Creation Idea No. 7: Drawing A Line With China The Huffington Post News Team 2010
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But the problem for individuals with things they can improve is by far not lack of information or too much information.
Against Paternalism, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty 2009
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Chuck failed to improve from the dive it took last week as it posted a 1.9 rating for a second week in a row.
March « 2010 « Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy 2010
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Chuck failed to improve from the dive it took last week as it posted a 1.9 rating for a second week in a row.
Ratings Results for the Week of March 21st: No More Excuses 2010
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They don't realize that critiquing can help the critiquer to improve is own writing.
Interview: Scott H. Andrews odysseyworkshop 2009
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Seeing the living standards of the Chinese people improve is a good thing -- good because we want a stable China, and good because China can be a powerful market for American exports.
Job-Creation Idea No. 7: Drawing A Line With China Dan Froomkin 2010
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Seeing the living standards of the Chinese people improve is a good thing -- good because we want a stable China, and good because China can be a powerful market for American exports.
Job-Creation Idea No. 7: Drawing A Line With China Dan Froomkin 2010
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All the oscars need to do to improve is stop the broadway-like production numbers, forget the interpretative dance choreography, and for god's sakes fire Bruce Vilanch as head writer. kencosgrove
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Chuck failed to improve from the dive it took last week as it posted a 1.9 rating for a second week in a row.
29 « March « 2010 « Axiom's Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy 2010
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