Improvement

01 n. The act of improving; advancement or growth; promotion in desirable qualities; progress toward what is better; melioration; as, the improve…

1.
The act of improving; advancement or growth; promotion in desirable qualities; progress toward what is better; melioration; as, the improvement of the mind, of land, roads, etc.
“I look upon your city as the best place of improvement.” — South.

“Exercise is the chief source of improvement in all our faculties.” — Blair.
2.
The act of making profitable use or applicaton of anything, or the state of being profitably employed; a turning to good account; practical application, as of a doctrine, principle, or theory, stated in a discourse.
“I shall make some improvement of this doctrine.” — Tillotson.
3.
The state of being improved; betterment; advance; also, that which is improved; as, the new edition is an improvement on the old.
“The parts of Sinon, Camilla, and some few others, are improvements on the Greek poet.” — Addison.
4.
Increase; growth; progress; advance.
“There is a design of publishing the history of architecture, with its several improvements and decays.” — Addison.

“Those vices which more particularly receive improvement by prosperity.” — South.
5.
Valuable additions or betterments, as buildings, clearings, drains, fences, etc., on land or premises; as, to convey the land together with all improvements.
6.
A useful addition to, or modification of, a machine, manufacture, or composition.(Patent Laws)