From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishimprovementim‧prove‧ment /ɪmˈpruːvmənt/ ●●● S3 W2 noun 1 [countable, uncountable]IMPROVE the act of improving something, or the state of being improvedimprovement in/on/to There’s been a big improvement in the children’s behaviour. an improvement on earlier models We need to carry out some improvements to the system. Our results have shown some improvement this month.2 [countable]IMPROVE a change or addition that improves something Are you making some improvements to your home?COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbsbe an improvement (on something)This version of the software is a clear improvement on its predecessor.see/notice an improvementAfter taking the tablets, he noticed some improvement in his energy levels.show an improvementThe sales figures show a major improvement.represent an improvement (=be an improvement)A pre-tax profit of 4.3 million pounds represents a 5% improvement on last year.adjectivesa big improvementThe situation today is a big improvement on the 1980s.a great/vast/major improvement (=very big)The new computer system was a vast improvement.a dramatic improvement (=very big and quick)With the new treatment we saw a dramatic improvement in his condition.a significant/substantial/considerable improvement (=quite big)There has been a considerable improvement in trading conditions. a marked/noticeable improvement (=that people can notice)Joanna's work showed a marked improvement.a slight improvementSales figures have shown a slight improvement this month.a gradual improvementThere has been a gradual improvement in educational standards.a general improvementThere has been a general improvement in the standard of living.a continuous/steady improvement (=happening slowly and gradually)The following two seasons saw a steady improvement in the team's performance.further improvement (=more improvement)We feel there is room for further improvement.phrasessigns of improvementThe patient is showing signs of improvement.room for improvement (=the possibility that something could be done better)There's room for improvement in the way the tickets are sold.
Examples from the Corpus
improvement• Have you noticed any improvement in his work?• These behavioral improvements occur only if the correct location is destroyed, not if the lesion is made nearby.• Three months later, the District Court adopted a plan requiring $ 187,450,334 in further capital improvements.• Continuing improvement in the United States.• Design improvements in the computer system have greatly increased our efficiency.• There's been a great improvement in the team's performance over the last three games.• home improvements• Councillors also expressed their support for proposed improvements to the tennis club facilities.• Information systems are introducing similar quality improvement programs to link information systems with basic business needs.• Accidents have become less frequent, thanks to recent improvements in our safety checks.• You'll see that there's been a remarkable improvement in recent weeks.• I'm afraid if you don't show some improvement soon we won't be entering you for the exam.• We had to borrow money to pay for all the improvements to our home.• It reviews current practices and offers suggestions for their improvement through the development of affirmative assessment.• This improvement in standards can only be put down to cellar training.improvement in/on/to• There will be improvements in logical design and in programming technique.• Similar trends in reservoir quality are noted with a detectable improvement in reservoir quality towards the basin flank.• In the past, other things being equal, improvement in a man's income removed obstacles to marriage.• For example, you shouldn't set a goal for a 10-minute improvement in the 10K.• The approach encourages both manual and technological improvements to be considered.• When the parents saw for themselves the improvement in their children, their own prejudices were overcome.• All had to prepare a Development Plan describing five years' improvement to bring about secondary education for all.From Longman Business Dictionaryimprovementim‧prove‧ment /ɪmˈpruːvmənt/ noun [countable, uncountable] the act or state of getting betterimprovement inCanandaigua Wine Co reported a 70% improvement in net income for the third quarter.An economist said he was optimistic that September sales will show an improvement. → continuous improvement 