Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “better” come from?

better (Middle English) comes from Old English betera, from Latin batizō.

better (Middle English): Alternative form of bettre; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of bettre; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “better”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishbeterabetter
2Latinbatizō—

Words derived from “better”

  • better
  • betterment
  • bettermost
  • betterer
  • bettereth
  • bettern't
  • betterest
  • embetterment
  • betterish
  • unbetterable
  • betterhood
  • embetter
  • bettererer
  • bettership
  • betterfy
Every word from Latin batizō →