ameliorated

From the verb ameliorate: (⇒ conjugate)

ameliorated is: ⓘ

v past

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•mel•io•rate /əˈmilyəˌreɪt/   v., -rat•ed, -rat•ing. 

1. to make or become better or more satisfactory; improve: [~ + object]
   Her apology ameliorated the situation.
   [no object]
   The situation ameliorated when both sides shook hands.

a•mel•io•ra•tion /əˌmilyəˈreɪʃən/  n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

a•mel•io•rate  (ə mēl′yə rāt′, ə mē′lē ə-), v.t., v.i., -rat•ed, -rat•ing. 

1. to make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory; improve;
   meliorate.

• a-⁵ + meliorate 1760–70

a•mel′io•ra•ble, adj. 
a•mel′io•ra•ble•ness, n. 
a•mel′io•rant, n. 
a•mel′io•ra′tive, a•mel•io•ra•to•ry  (ə mēl′yər ə tôr′ē, -tōr′ē, ə mē′lē ə-), adj.  a•mel′io•ra′tor, n. 
Synonyms

amend, better. See improve. 

Antonyms

worsen.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ameliorate / əˈmiːljəˌreɪt/ verb

1. to make or become better; improve

Etymology: 18th Century: from meliorate, influenced by French améliorer to improve, from Old French ameillorer to make better, from meillor better, from Latin melior

aˈmeliorative adjective

aˈmelioˌrator noun

USAGE
Ameliorate is often wrongly used where alleviate is meant. Ameliorate is properly used to mean 'improve', not 'make easier to bear', so one should talk about alleviating pain or hardship, not ameliorating it