# Improve



## Melior

If I wanted to utilize a single word to say improve, or to improve, would that word be Melior?


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## XiaoRoel

*Meliorare* o *in melius mutare* o *melius se habere*.


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## Melior

So, the proper stand-alone word would be Meliorare? Thank you for your assistance.


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## XiaoRoel

_Meliorare_ es el infinitivo del verbo que deriva de _melior_, adjetivo en grado comparativo. _Bonus_ es su grado positivo y _optimus_ el superlativo.


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## Stoicorum_simia

If you want a stand-alone phrase, as e.g. for a motto, you could try 'in melius' - 'towards what is better', implying continual improvement.


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## Melior

What exactly would meliorare mean then? Basically I want toget one word tattooed on my arm that means improve.


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## Cagey

Melior said:


> What exactly would meliorare mean then? Basically I want toget one word tattooed on my arm that means improve.


_meliorare_ is the infinitive form: 'to improve'.

Latin verbs carry in themselves a lot of information that is provided by other words in English.  You need to tell us exactly what you want the verb to mean.  

_meliorare _means to improve something.  It needs an object, whatever is going to be improved or made better. 

_melioresco_ is the verb that means "to become better".   A command addressed to one person would be _melioresce_.   If you are addressing more than one person, it would be _meliorescite_.

Please explain more fully what you have in mind.


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## Stoicorum_simia

For a tattoo, I can only repeat I would go for 'in melius'. Or even 'semper (= always) in melius'. That implies constant improvement, and sidesteps any awkward definitions about who is supposed to be doing the improving - whether yourself, another (singular), others (plural), or whatever. You could compare a well-known motto like _per ardua ad astra _('through hardshipsto the stars'). It doesn't actually state who is going, or ought to go, or is commanded to go, to the stars.


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## Cagey

I think Stoiorcum_simia's suggestions are very good. They have the form of a slogan, which is probably what you want, rather than instructions or a command.


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## Melior

This is just a mantra I want to utilize to continue improving myself. I would like one word to mean that in Latin because I want to design it into an ambigram. Thank you so much for your help.


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## Cagey

Melior said:


> This is just a mantra I want to utilize to continue improving myself. I would like one word to mean that in Latin because I want to design it into an ambigram. Thank you so much for your help.


In this case, possibly you want _melioresce_ ~ a command to yourself to grow better, improve.

Edit: Corrected, thanks to Stoicorum_simia's post below.


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## Melior

I appreciate your help.  Before I get a tattoo of it, I would like to corroborate your information.  I cannot find one mention of molioresce anywhere.  Do you have any reference material of the word?  Thanks again,

-Benjamin


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## Stoicorum_simia

M*e*lioresce!


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## Cagey

Stoicorum_simia said:


> M*e*lioresce!


Yes, this is right. I made a mistake.  

A Latin dictionary will list it as _melioresco_, _meliorescere_.


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## Melior

To clarify, this is more of a mantra to myself for myself.  I just want to coninue improving.


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## Cagey

Melior said:


> To clarify, this is more of a mantra to myself for myself.  I just want to continue improving.


I think then that the singular imperative (spelled correctly ) is what you want: _Melioresce!
_


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