English → Latin
“improve” in Latin
efficiōto make out or work out; effect, execute, complete, accomplish, make, form, compose; to cause to occur, to bring about, corrigōto correct (set right); to straighten; to make alterations or improvements in, amend, reformēmendōto free from faults, correct, improve, remedy, amend, revise, cure; to correct by punishment, chastise, atone or compensprōgrediorto come, go, or march forth, forward or on; advance, proceed; to make progress, advance, develop, proceed, go on; advancprōcēdōto proceed, advance; to show oneself, appear, become visible; to go towards, go to meetprōficiōto advance, make progress, make headway; to benefit, profit, take advantage; to help, contribute, be useful
The English word improve itself goes back to Latin prōde.
Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864
improve
TRANS., melius facere or efficere (to make better): corrigere (to correct or improve a whole that is defective, not right, etc.): emendare (to free anything from faults). (The words are found in this connection and order.) corrigere et emendare; emendare et corrigere. To improve one’s ways, mores corrigere or emendare: to improve one’s estate or fortune, amplificare fortunam; augere opes: to improve and enlarge one’s house, aedes reficere in melius et in majus; anybody’s circumstances, amplificare fortunam: augere opes. His circumstances are improved, ejus res sunt meliore loco. INTRANS.
To make progress, progredi: procedere: procedere et progredi: proficere (all in re): progressus facere in re. To improve in virtue, procedere et progredi in virtute; progressionem facere ad virtutem.
To grow better in health, meliorem fieri; ex morbo convalescere; ex incommoda valetudine emergere: the patient is already beginning to improve, inclinata jam in melius aegri valetudo est: I am beginning to improve, meliuscule est mihi.
To improve; of fortune, etc. Things are improving with me, meae res sunt meliore loco.
Quick answer
- What is the Latin word for improve?
- The usual Latin words for “improve” are efficiō, corrigō, ēmendō; also prōgredior, prōcēdō, prōficiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.
Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.