Make Your Point > Archived Issues > MELIORISM

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connect today's word to others: If you're a meliorist, you believe we can ease human suffering and make the world a better place.  If you're a P____oss, you believe that life is wonderful and that we already have created the best possible world.  And if you're a bit more realistic but still hopeful and optimistic about things, then your outlook is sa____ne. make your point with... "MELIORISM" This word is based on the Latin word for "better," melior, and a version of it ("meliorist") first appeared in print in 1846.  Meliorism is the belief that if we try, we can improve people's lives and make the world a better place. Some people push this definition further and use "meliorism" to mean "the belief that the world is, on its own, always getting better and better." Pronunciation: Several ways are correct. I prefer "ME lee yuh rizz um." Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "education," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of education," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many educations." Likewise, talk about "the meliorism," "this meliorism," "his meliorism," "such meliorism," "no meliorism," and so on, but don’t say "a meliorism," "one meliorism," or "meliorisms.") Other forms: The person who believes in humanity's power to improve itself is a "meliorist." Use the plural, "meliorists," to talk in general about these folks. "Meliorist" is also an adjective: "a meliorist view," "a meliorist strategy." Another adjective you can use is "melioristic:" "melioristic people," "a melioristic ideology." You can use the verb "meliorate" to mean "make better" or "become better," and you can use the noun "melioration" to mean "a process of making something better," but because "ameliorate" and "amelioration" mean the same thing and are much more common, I recommend sticking to them: "the conversations ameliorated their anger," "the problem is complex and resists amelioration." How to use it: Talk about people's meliorism: your aunt's meliorism, an author's meliorism, a politician's meliorism. Or, talk about the meliorism of groups and organizations, books and films, social movements, acts of legislation, philosophies and religions and cultures, etc. To use the adjective, talk about meliorist views and perspectives, meliorist thoughts and attitudes, meliorist plans and ideas, etc. examples: Just when I'm finding it hard to maintain my faith in meliorism, I'll be reminded of how circumscribed and downright oppressive life was for women only a generation ago. Even though many of his history lectures were gloomy, he often gestured by lifting his arm in an upward arc as he talked about the end of the slavery and other steps forward, as if history were following one smooth upward path through time. He must be a meliorist at heart. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "meliorism" means when you can explain it without saying "belief that things do get better and better" or "doctrine of humanity's capability to relieve its own suffering." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Some particular author, book, movie, or other work) takes a meliorist view, suggesting that (something about humanity can get better)." Example: "She Persisted takes a meliorist view, suggesting that tenacity can lead to social and scientific breakthroughs." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called Felicitous Names.  A felicitous name for a fictional character is a highly appropriate name, a name that fits that character so perfectly that you just know the writer picked it on purpose. This month, draw on your knowledge of both vocabulary and fiction to pick out the right name for the character described. Enjoy! From our previous issue: What’s the most felicitous name for a love interest who's distant, cold, beautiful, and dazzling: Emma, Ermengarde, or Estella? Why? Answer: Estella, whose name is based on the Latin for "star," dazzles Pip in Great Expectations.  Try this today:  We need a felicitous name for a man who fears the world--someone who shuts himself up in his mansion and is hesitant, even, to love his own family. Is it Sherlock Holmes, Archibald Craven, or Gogul Ganguli? Why? review today's word: 1. A close opposite of MELIORISM is A. ACTIVISM B. DECLINISM C. PACIFISM 2. On principle he rejected our meliorism, arguing that _____. A. we can provide help to those who need it and still ensure a level playing field B. allowing children to struggle, fail, and deal with it all does actually help them C. human vices are immanent and will always impose hardships Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. B 2. C