improov’ment. Advancement in moral worth, learning, wisdom, skill or other excellence; as the improvement of the mind or of the heart by cultivation; improvement in classical learning, science or mechanical skill; improvement in music; improvement in holiness.

Melioration; a making or growing better, or more valuable; as the improvement of barren or exhausted land; the improvement of the roads; the improvement of the breed of horses or cattle.

A valuable addition; excellence added, or a change for the better; sometimes with on. The parts of Sinon, Camilla, and some few others, are improvements on the Greek poet.

Advance or progress from any state to a better. There is a design of publishing the history of architecture, with its several improvements and decays.

Instruction; growth in knowledge or refinement; edification. I look upon your city as the best place of improvement.

Use or employment to beneficial purposes; a turning to good account; as the improvement of natural advantages or spiritual privileges. A good improvement of his reason.

Practical application; as the improvement of the doctrines and principles of a sermon. I shall make some improvement of this doctrine. Hence,

The part of a discourse intended to enforce and apply the doctrines, is called the improvement.

Use; occupancy.

Improvements, valuable additions or melioration, as building, clearings, drains, fences, on a farm.