Ameliorate

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /əˈmiːli.əɹeɪt/

Definitions

1. To make something better or improve a condition that is bad or unpleasant
2. To improve a negative situation or make an adverse condition better, thus promoting a more favorable outcome in challenging circumstances
3. To bring about an improvement in an unfavorable or harsh condition

Etymology: Ameliorate is a modern-sounding word with a Latin skeleton: its ancestor is "meliorare," meaning "to make better," from "melior," "better." English first had "meliorate," and "ameliorate" grew out of it as an alteration influenced by the French "améliorer." In other words, English briefly had two near-twins for the same idea, and the French form won the spelling. The added "a-" is the surprise. It did not come from a separate prefix meaning anything special; it was a change in shape, pulled toward the French verb, which had already been formed on the same Latin base. The result is a word that looks like it should mean something grander than its plain sense of "make better." Because the word is an alteration rather than a fresh coinage, its meaning has stayed close to its Latin root throughout. The "better" at its core has never needed reinterpreting, which is why the word still reads so transparently today.

Synonyms: improve, enhance, better

Antonyms: worsen, deteriorate