meliorist

M3E1L1I1O1R1I1S1T1

noun

A proponent of meliorism

Similar
reformerreformistcrusadersocial reformer
OriginLatin melior →
Scrabble 11
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Meanings

nounmeliorist (plural meliorists)

plural meliorists

  1. A proponent of meliorism

    "Who knows but that such age-old customs, rooted in dark, immemorial country lore and probably of pagan origin, may not put shallow urban meliorists out of countenance?".

    2001 August 17, “The Peter Simple Column”, in Daily Telegraph
adjectivemeliorist (comparative more meliorist, superlative most meliorist)

comparative more meliorist · superlative most meliorist

  1. Of or relating to meliorism.
  2. Supporting the principles of meliorism.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna disputant who advocates reform

Similar
reformerreformistcrusadersocial reformer
Broader
disputantcontroversialisteristic
Also see
crusaderreformerreformist

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinmelior“better”
  2. Englishmeliorist

From Latin melior (“better”) and English -ist. Reportedly coined by British author George Eliot in her letters, published in 1877.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

meliorist. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meliorist

MLA

“meliorist.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meliorist. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “meliorist,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/meliorist.

Source: meliorist on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.