meliora

Meliora is a Latin term that translates roughly to “better things.” It is the neuter plural form of the adjective melior, the comparative of bonus, and can function as a substantive noun meaning “the better things” or “things that are better.” The form is most often encountered in inscriptions, poetry, and phrases that express aspiration or improvement.

In Latin grammar, melior denotes better in quality or moral sense, and meliora, as the neuter plural, carries a generalized sense of improvement or higher quality. Because Latin is highly inflected, meliora may appear in different places within a sentence, and it can be used to refer to things previously mentioned or understood from context. In classical usage, the expression can stand alone to evoke a notion of progress or improvement, or appear in longer phrases such as ad meliora (“toward better things”) or meliora faciamus (“let us do better things”), depending on the context.

In modern usage, meliora is frequently adopted as a motto or aspirational slogan by educational institutions, organizations, and brands seeking connotations of progress and improvement. It is also encountered in contemporary writing and translations that convey a sense of striving for higher standards or better outcomes, often without a specific referent beyond the concept of improvement itself.

See also: melior, melius, Latin phrases expressing improvement, mottos associated with Latin inscriptions.