ENGLISH
REFERENCE

enrichment

n.
US //ɛnˈɹɪtʃmənt// UK //ɛnɹˈɪtʃmənt// en·rich·ment
  1. 1 improvement or growth (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    the act of making something better or more rewarding, like your life or your mind.

    the process of enhancing the quality, value, or significance of something. Often used in the context of personal or cultural development.

    Example

    Reading a wide variety of books provides great mental enrichment.

    Example

    The cultural enrichment provided by the exchange programme proved invaluable to the students' understanding of global perspectives.
  2. 2 extra learning (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Education

    extra activities for students that go beyond their normal school lessons.

    the provision of educational activities that go beyond the standard curriculum to challenge gifted or interested students.

    Example

    The school offers an enrichment programme for students who love science.

    Example

    The after-school enrichment modules were designed to foster critical thinking skills through complex problem-solving tasks and independent research.
  3. 3 nuclear fuel (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical Science

    the process of making uranium more powerful so it can be used for energy.

    the process of increasing the proportion of a specific isotope within a substance, most commonly associated with uranium for nuclear reactors.

    Example

    The international community monitored the country's uranium enrichment very closely.

    Example

    The facility was designed specifically for the enrichment of uranium-235 to levels suitable for civilian power generation.

  4. 4 animal welfare (n.)
    C1 Advanced Technical

    giving captive animals toys or tasks to keep their minds active and healthy.

    the practice of providing captive animals with environmental stimuli to encourage natural behaviours and improve psychological well-being.

    Example

    The zookeepers hide food in different places as a form of enrichment for the tigers.

    Example

    Environmental enrichment is essential for primates in captivity to prevent the development of repetitive, stress-induced behaviours.
Origin

From enrich + -ment.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Related words

Last updated July 22, 2026