ameliorate AIBU?

[LightTheFlameThrower]

Is this really a standard word that most people know? (I thought it was a typo)

@AnnnaBananna

It’s a very common word. I’d be surprised if someone didn’t know what it means.

Sorry but no, it really isn't 'very' common. I know what it means and how to spell it, but I'm well-educated. It's not in frequent use and to pretend it is, smacks of pretension.

I don't think it's a common word, I've never heard it before in my life and I'm pretty well educated. Maybe it's a word that used to be more common therefore older people know it? Never heard any of my friends of family use it.

@Icenii

We use remediate in my industry, but I would simplyfy that outside of the department.

Thinking about it, it's a bit like 1984! Reducing words used.

I know remediate! I would say that's more common.

I also thought this thread was going to be about improving AIBU (how can it possibly be improved )

I know, understand and have used the word. It's not extremely common, I'd say, but common enough.

I always have my nose in a book, and have a first class OU degree, if that's relevant. I'm quite shocked that the average reading age in the UK is 9 years old.

Haha Indecent bet she failed her stats modules.

@Racoonworld

I don't think it's a common word, I've never heard it before in my life and I'm pretty well educated. Maybe it's a word that used to be more common therefore older people know it? Never heard any of my friends of family use it.

I'm 35 . Should I start looking at retirement homes?

Yes OP, ameliorate and monkeys are both common words, though not often seen in the same sentence.

Remediate??? Wtf that? To remedy. Verb. No need to re-mediate which, if it was a word, would be something else entirely.

If you are a linguist, you'll know that ameliorer is French for 'to improve'. So I guess I've known what it means since French A-level Sorry if that's been posted thousands of times already.

I’m honestly surprised nobody seems to have heard of the Ameliorate skincare brand.

I only know what it means now I've read this thread. If I hadn't and had to guess, I'd have guessed destroy like obliterate.

Never heard of Ameliorate skin care. I'm not a total skin care heathen but it's never crossed my path

@Diva66

I’m honestly surprised nobody seems to have heard of the Ameliorate skincare brand.

I'm more into words than skin care.

Maybe it's a word that used to be more common therefore older people know it?

I don't think it's a generational thing because my teenager knows it.

@longwayoff

Remediate??? Wtf that? To remedy. Verb. No need to re-mediate which, if it was a word, would be something else entirely.

Remediation. Usually in relation to cleaning contamination (eg radioactive material, asbestos) from a premises so that it can be used again safely.

I dread to think what your complexions are like !

@RaymondSpectacles

If you are a linguist, you'll know that ameliorer is French for 'to improve'. So I guess I've known what it means since French A-level Sorry if that's been posted thousands of times already.

I must have known it prior to A-level french as I always found it an easy connection to remember (and souvenir is easy because souvinirs help you remember holidays )

I wouldn't say it was commonly used, but it's not that obscure either.

@Icenii

We use remediate in my industry, but I would simplyfy that outside of the department.

Thinking about it, it's a bit like 1984! Reducing words used.

1984 indeed!

I’m in an engineering field and write technical documents where mitigate and remediate are used frequently but I’ve never used or seen ameliorate in my professional setting. I have definitely heard or read it in the past but I didn’t know what it meant and would not say it was common.

I’m from the north and didn’t do French or Latin at GCSE so also couldn’t have known it was to do with improvement. I consider myself fairly well read and hold a degree.

I remember someone once using the word girth to describe a tree trunk and it turned out to be a very uncommon word to those from the south? Maybe the Latin/Viking theory is alive and well here?

I quite like ameliorate and may use it in an email tomorrow and see if anyone comes back with a comment about me being hoity-toity.

Than you @BarbaraofSeville. I've never heard that term and would definitely query its use. Is it an Americanism? Surely it should just say remedy though? Or is it a specific industrial process?

@IndecentFeminist

I had a huge discussion with someone on Facebook who insisted that exponential was a rare word. She also attempted to patronise me ("dearie") and tell me she had 2 whole degrees and had never heard the word.

That person is thick as fuck. This also explains how people don't understand COVID transmission at all. Heaven help us.

I've never come across that word before - every day is a school day!

For the few people who know the word but don't seem to recognise that it is an unusual and not used often by most you need to give your head a wobble.

My sons of 22 and 19 both knew it, so I don't think it's a generational thing. 'Girth' is also a very common word in the south of England (even if you've never saddled a horse).

Exponential is used in GCSE maths and science isn't it? Differential equations and radioactivity respectively.

So would have been covered by everyone.

I read a book about religion in secondary school that used the word and have used it ever since. I’d say it’s pretty common.

I use it all the time with lawyer colleagues. I’d be amazed if I had to explain it to anyone. I first came across it when doing GCSE French and sometimes it’s the only word that describes a particular situation. I wouldn’t use it in a shop, for instance.