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mel·io·ra·tion

melioration

pronunciation:
mil y reI shn [or] mi li reI shn
part of speech: noun
definition 1: improvement; amelioration.
synonyms:
amelioration, amendment, betterment, improvement
similar words:
enhancement, progress, recovery, reform, upswing
definition 2: the historical process by which a word gradually acquires positive connotation, and eventually, positive denotation. (Cf. pejoration.)