amelioration

Amelioration refers to the act or process of making something better or more tolerable. In everyday use, it denotes improvement of conditions, circumstances, or well-being, and it is often used in discussions of social, economic, or legal reform. The term derives from Middle French amelioration, from Old French ameliorer, from Latin melior "better".

In linguistics, amelioration is a semantic change in which a word gains a more favorable or less negative meaning over time; it is the opposite of pejoration. Mechanisms include reanalysis, reappropriation by speakers, and shifts in social attitudes that recast the referent as more positive. Amelioration is one of several named pathways of semantic change, alongside pejoration, broadening, narrowing, and functional shift.

Applications of the concept appear in policy and public discourse, where amelioration describes efforts to improve living standards or reduce suffering, such as reforms in welfare, education, or housing. In law and ethics, it may refer to revisions that render a rule or penalty less harsh or more just. In historical linguistics, studying amelioration helps illuminate changing social values and power relations, illustrating how language and society influence each other over time.

Related concepts include pejoration, semantic shift, and reclamation.