ameliorative
Tending toward improvement
Ameliorative describes something that improves a bad situation or lessens harm: ameliorative measures, ameliorative effects.
The word appears most often in formal or academic contexts—policy discussions, medical literature, social commentary.
An ameliorative approach seeks to make things better without necessarily solving the underlying problem: The reforms were ameliorative rather than transformative.
Providing benefit or gain
- salutaryProducing good effects
- favorableInclined toward approval
- helpfulGiving useful aid
- constructivePromoting positive development
positive · valuable · productive · fruitful · rewarding · beneficent · benevolent · auspicious
Regaining what was lost
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- convalescencePost-illness healing phase
- remedyCurative treatment or fix
- cureTreatment that heals
rehabilitation · restoration · regeneration · recuperation · treatment · antidote · rejuvenation · revitalization
Lessen pain or trouble
- lessenReduce in degree
- reduceMake smaller in degree
- relieveLessen pain or burden
- moderateLessen intensity or preside
diminish · ease · soften · temper · attenuate · palliate · soothe · assuage
Change to official text
- overhaulComplete systematic repair
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
- transformationThorough change in form
- correctionFixing of mistakes
improvement · revamp · restructuring · renewal · refinement · rectification · revision · upgrade
advantageous
Providing benefit or gain
constructive · positive · valuable · productive · fruitful · rewarding · beneficent · benevolent · auspicious · propitious
recovery
Regaining what was lost
- therapyCurative mental treatment
- convalescencePost-illness healing phase
- remedyCurative treatment or fix
cure · rehabilitation · restoration · regeneration · recuperation · treatment · antidote · rejuvenation · revitalization · therapeutic
alleviate
Lessen pain or trouble
moderate · diminish · ease · soften · temper · attenuate · palliate · soothe · assuage · mollify
amendment
Change to official text
- overhaulComplete systematic repair
- modernizationAdoption of current methods
- transformationThorough change in form
correction · improvement · revamp · restructuring · renewal · refinement · rectification · revision · upgrade · reform
ameliorativeworsening
Becoming more severe
damaging · harmful · destructive · deleterious · detrimental
ameliorativepejorative
Term expressing disapproval
pejoration · derogatory · degradation · deprecatory · disparaging