David Zapatka
Reader, friend and fellow bridge player, Maria, writes, “Hi Dave. I came across this word while reading The Road to Character by David Brooks. He was describing the life and writing of George Eliot. ‘She was a meliorist and a gradualist, believing that people and society were best reformed by slow stretching, not by sudden rupture.’ The word can be a departure point to branch out into various other worldviews, such as optimism and pessimism, or to the related word amelioration (the act of making something better; improvement). It’s an overall excellent read, describing the lives and character traits of several well-known people, as well as others that are not well-known, but perhaps deserve closer examination. Best regards, Maria.”
Meliorist (MEE-lee-or-ist) noun: a person who believes that the world can be made better through human effort; an adherent of meliorism. adjective: of or relating to meliorism; supporting the belief in progressive improvement
Etymology: From Latin melior “better” + -ist. First recorded use in the 1840s, though popularized by George Eliot in the 1870s who claimed to have invented the term. Related to meliorate, a synonym of ameliorate meaning “to make better.”
Examples in Sentences
“As a meliorist, she believed that every small act of kindness contributed to making the world a better place.”
“The organization’s meliorist mission statement emphasized practical solutions over utopian ideals.”
Examples from Published Sources
“In her general attitude toward life, George Eliot was neither optimist nor pessimist. She held to a middle term, which she invented for herself, of meliorist.”—Life and Letters of George Eliot
“In the spirit of American meliorism, the criticism is to make things better, not necessarily because I didn’t like it.”—The New York Times
Meliorists believe progress is possible. The world isn’t fixed in its current state. Human society can change, evolve, and improve. This doesn’t mean progress is inevitable or automatic—only that it’s achievable. Meliorists believe human agency matters. Individual and collective actions have real consequences. People aren’t helpless victims of circumstance but active participants in shaping the future. Each choice, each effort, each small improvement contributes to a larger change.
To adopt meliorism as a life philosophy means accepting several difficult truths. Progress is real but not inevitable. Your efforts matter, but won’t solve everything. The work is never finished but always worthwhile. You’ll face setbacks, but can still make meaningful contributions. It means staying engaged even when progress seems slow, maintaining hope even when outcomes remain uncertain. Perhaps most importantly, it means recognizing that you’re part of a larger, longer story. The improvements you work toward may not be completed in your lifetime. The problems you address existed before you and will persist after you. It is the idea that the cumulative effect of countless meliorists across generations creates the arc that bends toward improvement.
Do you have meliorist tendencies? Please submit your experiences or any word you may like to share along with your insights and comments to dzapatka@wbhsi.net.