Meaning

2 senses

  1. (transitive)To make better; to improve; to solve a problem.

    They offered some compromises in an effort to meliorate the disagreement.

    June 8, 1783, George Washington, Circular to the States […] and the pure and benign light of revelation have had a meliorating influence on mankind.

    to make better

  2. (intransitive)To become better.

    get better

Origin

First attested in 1542; borrowed from Late Latin meliorātus, perfect passive participle of

First attested in 1542; borrowed from Late Latin meliorātus, perfect passive participle of meliorō (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from melior (“better”).

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Forms

meliorates, meliorating, meliorated, meliorated
Base formmeliorate · to meliorate
3rd person singularmeliorates
Present participlemeliorating
Past simplemeliorated
Past participlemeliorated

regular · Lesson

Present simpleLesson

I, you, we, theymeliorate
he, she, itmeliorates

Past simpleLesson

all personsmeliorated

Present perfectLesson

I, you, we, theyhave meliorated
he, she, ithas meliorated

Future simple (will)Lesson

all personswill meliorate

Synonyms

33 synonyms
resolveB1betterA1enhanceB2honeB2improveA2riddleB1solveA1unravelC2healB1amelioraterefinework outamendbatten
Close in meaning

Word family

5 related words
Relatedamelioratemeliorativemelioration
Derivedmeliorablemeliorator

Lessons for this word

3 lessons

See also

neighbours in the dictionary
meldmeleemelissamellifluousmellow
meliorate — meaning, examples, forms, synonyms | Krumeto