Meliorism
noun /ˈmiːliərɪzəm/ — The belief that the world can and will be made better through human effort.
Definition
The philosophical position that the world is neither entirely good nor irredeemably bad, but can be progressively improved through deliberate human action — a principled optimism grounded in effort rather than faith.
Beyond the definition
Meliorism is optimism with its sleeves rolled up. It doesn't deny the world's brokenness — it refuses to be paralysed by it. It is the philosophy of people who act, not because they are certain of the outcome, but because the alternative is worse.
Origin & history
From Latin melior (better) + -ism (philosophical position). Coined by George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) in correspondence, later popularised by philosopher William James. A position between pessimism and optimism.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
Her meliorism was the quiet engine behind thirty years of public service.
He didn't know if the world would get better, but meliorism demanded he act as if it would.
Meliorism: not blind hope, but deliberate effort in the direction of better.
Synonyms
optimism, progressivism, hope, reformism, constructive idealism
Antonyms
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Improving Through Deliberate Action
Neighbors stake a bent plant and clear broken branches in a garden, actively restoring it after a damaging storm.
The act of repairing the garden shows the belief that the world can be improved through effort. It is not blind optimism, but a principled action taken to progressively mend what was damaged by external forces.
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