Melior

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A term denoting improvement or making something better in quality or condition
2. Describing actions or effects that lead to a better state or advancement in a given context
3. A concept that signifies enhancement or the process of raising the quality or effectiveness of something

Etymology: "Melior" is the Latin comparative of "bonus" (good), meaning "better." Latin borrowed "melior" from a different stem than "bonus," so the comparative and the base adjective are not closely related in form. Its superlative, "optimus," comes from yet another stem. Scholars have proposed a link between "melior" and an Indo-European root meaning "good," but this connection is uncertain. English rarely uses "melior" on its own. Instead, it survives inside verbs built from it. "Ameliorate," meaning "to make better," came into English through French "ameliorer," which was formed from "melior" with the prefix "ad-" implied. "Meliorate" is a more direct borrowing of the Latin "meliorare." The noun "melioration" and the philosophical term "meliorism," the belief that human effort can improve the world, come from the same Latin stem.