Betterment - a very loaded word?

[Tedwonny]

I wrote this sentence:
"This can be considered as an important step of betterment from the previous systems..."
and the marker corrected 'betterment' to 'improvement', saying that 'betterment' is a very loaded word and has a different meaning with different connotations.

I then looked up the phrase loaded word on the Internet and found out that this is a term used in rhetoric, referring to language attempting to influence the reader/listener by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes. What I don't quite understand though, is what different connotations can 'betterment' have? Is it not essentially synonymous as improvement and equally positive? It seems intriguing to me.

 

[tedmc]

It should be written: an important step for the /as an improvement of/over the previous system.

The word 'betterment' is not appropriate in the context.

Not a teacher

 

[MikeNewYork]

One will usually see "betterment" used in phrases such as "the betterment of society".

 

[Raymott]

"This is an important step of improvement from the previous system ..." is still awkward, and the 'from' is wrong.
I'd say, "This is a significant improvement on the previous system."

 

[Tedwonny]

Thank you all very much but it seems no one has any idea why betterment is a loaded word with different connotations in different contexts? Allow me to rephrase my question then - is betterment synonymous with improvement? Under what circumstances should one opt for betterment rather than improvement, or vice versa? Thanks again

 

[MikeNewYork]

I don't consider "betterment" to be a loaded word. The word contains a meaning of improvement, but as discussed above, it is used for more important things than "improvement" is.

 

[Matthew Wai]

The Longman Dictionary marks 'betterment' as formal. Should it be used only in official/serious situations/documents?

 

[emsr2d2]

I'm not convinced I've ever needed to use the word "betterment" but if I did, it would probably be in the context of "betterment of society". For me, it refers to a social or perhaps educational level.

 

[Matthew Wai]

In my city, there is a political party named 'Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong'.

Not a teacher.

 

[emsr2d2]

For me, it's the type of word which turns up in that kind of phrase - a very formal (flowery, even) phrase where someone wanted to use a word which sounds more impressive than "improvement". However, in the name of that party, it is used in exactly the same way that MikeNewYork and I suggested.