Meliorism
/ˈmiː.li.əˌrɪz.əm/noun
The belief that the world can be improved by human effort.
Did you know?Meliorism comes from Latin *melior*, “better,” and was coined in the 19th century as a philosophical term for improvement through action, not magic.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“to be strong, to excel, to be better”
Latin
Latin
melior
“better, superior”
Late Latin
Latin
meliorāre
“to make better, improve”
19th Century
English
meliorism
“the doctrine that the world tends to improve through human effort”
Modern English
English
meliorism
“belief in the possibility of improving the world by effort”
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