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View synonyms for

ameliorate

[ uh-meel-yuh-reyt, uh-mee-lee-uh- ]

verb (used with or without object)

ameliorated, ameliorating.
  1. to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve:

    strategies to ameliorate negative effects on the environment.

    Synonyms: ,

    Antonyms: ,



ameliorate

/ əˈmiːljəˌreɪt; əˈmiːljərəbəl /

verb

  1. to make or become better; improve
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Usage

Ameliorate is often wrongly used where alleviate is meant. Ameliorate is properly used to mean `improve', not `make easier to bear', so one should talk about alleviating pain or hardship, not ameliorating it
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Derived Forms

  • ameliorable, adjective
  • ˈˌٴǰ, noun
  • ˈǰپ, adjective
  • ˈǰԳ, noun
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Other Word Forms

  • ···· adjective
  • ·····ness noun
  • ···Գ noun
  • ····پ ····ٴ· [uh, -, meel, -yer-, uh, -tawr-ee, uh, -, mee, -lee-, uh, -], adjective
  • ····ٴǰ noun
  • un····· adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ameliorate1

First recorded in 1770–75; a- 5 + meliorate
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Word History and Origins

Origin of ameliorate1

C18: from meliorate , influenced by French éǰ to improve, from Old French ameillorer to make better, from meillor better, from Latin melior
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Her conundrum has lately been making me think about Daniel Shapiro's fascinating book, "Negotiating the Nonnegotiable," and his clear-eyed examination of the roles of tribalism and identity in accelerating conflict — and in ameliorating it.

From

The judge said his segregation was ameliorated by him being allowed "some three hours per day out of his cell, which is more than twice the time allowed to convicted prisoners held in segregation".

From

The mandatory two-stop has been arrived at as a necessary evil - introducing an element of artificiality to ameliorate a specific problem.

From

"The things that survive and probably diversify will of course be the rats and the ragweed and the cockroaches ... unless some really concerted work is done to ameliorate some of the most extreme forces."

From

“The overall downward trend remains concerning, particularly if the threats are not ameliorated.”

From

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Related Words

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When To Use

are other ways to say ameliorate?

To ameliorate is to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory. How is it different from the verbs improve and better? Find out on .

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Earhart, Ameliaameliorated