meliorist

English

Etymology

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

Noun

meliorist (plural meliorists)

  1. A proponent of meliorism
    • 2001, "The Peter Simple Column," Daily Telegraph, 17 August,
      "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?".

Adjective

meliorist (comparative more meliorist, superlative most meliorist)

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

References
  • “meliorist” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
  • “meliorist” in Microsoft's Encarta World English Dictionary, North American Edition (2007)
  • "meliorist" at Rhymezone (Datamuse, 2006)
  • Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
  • Dictionary of Philosophy, Dagobert D. Runes (ed.), Philosophical Library, 1962. See: "Meliorism" by Archie J. Bahm, page 195
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