improvement

  1. Noun.  The act of improving; advancement or growth; promotion in desirable qualities; progress toward what is better; melioration; as, the improvement of the mind, of land, roads, etc.
  2. Noun.  The act of making profitable use or application of anything, or the state of being profitably employed; a turning to good account; practical application, as of a doctrine, principle, or theory, stated in a discourse.
  3. Noun.  The state of being improved; betterment; advance; also, that which is improved; as, the new edition is an improvement on the old.
  4. Noun.  Increase; growth; progress; advance.
  5. Noun.  ''(plural):'' Valuable additions or betterments, as buildings, clearings, drains, fences, etc., on premises.
  6. Noun.  ''(Patent Laws):'' A useful addition to, or modification of, a machine, manufacture, or composition.

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This entry was last updated on RefTopia from its source on 3/20/2012.