increase

American  

[in-krees, in-krees] / ɪnˈkris, ˈɪn kris /

verb (used with object)

• increases,
  present (3rd person singular)
• increased,
  past participle,  past
• increasing
  present participle

1. to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality; augment; add to.

   to increase taxes.

   Synonyms:

   prolong, extend, expand

   Antonyms:

   decrease

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verb (used without object)

• increases,
  present (3rd person singular)
• increased,
  past participle,  past
• increasing
  present participle

1. to become greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality.

   Sales of automobiles increased last year.

   Antonyms:

   wane, lessen, contract, abate, decrease

2. to multiply by propagation.

   Synonyms:

   swell, grow, expand, propagate

3. to wax, as the moon.

noun

• increases
  plural

1. growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc..

   the increase of crime.

2. the act or process of increasing.

   Synonyms:

   expansion, enlargement

3. that by which something is increased.

4. the result of increasing.

5. produce of the earth.

6. product; profit; interest.

7. Obsolete.

   1. multiplication by propagation; production of offspring.

   2. offspring; progeny.

increase British  

/ ɪnˈkriːsɪdlɪ /

verb

1. to make or become greater in size, degree, frequency, etc; grow or expand

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noun

1. the act of increasing; augmentation

2. the amount by which something increases

3. increasing, esp becoming more frequent

Usage

What does increase mean? To increase is to become greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will increase as demand increases. As a verb, increase is also used in an active way in which someone or something is doing the increasing, as in I’m going to increase my hours at work or These sunglasses increase visibility. Increase can also be used as a noun referring to a rise or growth in something, as in We are experiencing an increase in applicants. It can also refer to the amount by which something has increased, as in The increase was $5,000 per year. The words increased and increasing can both be used as adjectives, as in an increased appetite or increasing sales. The opposite of increase as both a verb and a noun is decrease. Example: My boss increased my workload, which led to an increase in stress.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• increaser
  noun
• nonincrease
  noun
• preincrease
  noun
• superincrease
  noun
• reincrease
  verb
• preincrease
  verb (used with object)
• superincrease
  verb (used with object)
• increasable
  adjective
• nonincreasable
  adjective
• proincrease
  adjective
• quasi-increased
  adjective
• unincreasable
  adjective
• unincreased
  adjective
• increasedly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• increases
  plural

Participles

• increasing
  present
• increased
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• increase
  simple
• increases
  simple
• have increased
  perfect
• has increased
  perfect
• am increasing
  progressive
• are increasing
  progressive
• is increasing
  progressive
• have been increasing
  perfect progressive
• has been increasing
  perfect progressive

Past

• increased
  simple
• had increased
  perfect
• was increasing
  progressive
• were increasing
  progressive
• had been increasing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will increase
  simple
• will have increased
  perfect
• will be increasing
  progressive
• will have been increasing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of increase

First recorded in 1370–1395; Middle English incresen, encresen, from Anglo-French encres-, Middle French encreis(s)-, stem of encreistre, from Latin incrēscere, equivalent to in- in- ² + crēscere “to grow”; see crescent

Explanation

The noun increase indicates growth of something that gets bigger in number or volume. When used as a verb, it means the act of growing or gaining more. However it's used, it refers to something that has gotten bigger. Anything that can add on can increase. You can increase your speed to go faster, increase your strength by working out, increase your knowledge by studying, and increase your circle of friends by meeting more people. You can work harder to see an increase of profits, and you can prevent an increase in your electric bill by turning out unnecessary lights. And now you’ve increased your vocabulary by learning a new word!

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

increase increases increased increasing

U.S. money markets are currently almost fully pricing a 25 basis-point rate increase by December.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Despite the fourfold increase in the share price over the last 12 months, significant upgrades in earnings consensus for Samsung make the stock relatively inexpensive on price-to-earnings multiples, trading on just 5x 2026 estimates.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

In laboratory experiments, epithelial cells exposed to butyrate caused a strong increase in IL-10 production in both mouse and human T-cells.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

So while El Niño may increase the chance of cold weather early in 2027, this is not guaranteed.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Using music activities and songs helps to greatly increase independent performance and reduce anxiety.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

By boosting income, these withdrawals can reduce tax breaks and trigger tax increases based on income.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

That growth was likely influenced by sharp, inflation-linked increases in benefits, pensions and the minimum wage.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

Hayes said consumers had stopped absorbing price increases and were migrating to the biggest and cheapest stores as they hunted for deals and tried to manage higher costs of living.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026

Spiraling monthly cable bills — largely driven by increases in sports rights fees — have made cable TV less attractive to ordinary subscribers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 2026

Technology’s history exemplifies what is termed an autocatalytic process: that is, one that speeds up at a rate that increases with time, because the process catalyzes itself.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

"We found that oral butyrate treatment induces a sustained immunoregulatory response in the intestine, characterized by increased IL-10 production in CD4+ T-cells and protection from intestinal inflammation even after butyrate treatment is stopped," Yu said.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026

However it could have a greater impact on the weather during autumn and early winter, with the increased potential for wet and stormy conditions across north-west Europe, including the UK.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

There is also increased competition for funds from a new source, with the cost of developing and deploying AI increasingly met through sharply higher borrowing by businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Such measures could include increased bond purchases beyond the scale announced the day before.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

And as the cold increased, so did the special temptation of concentration-camp life: the temptation to think only of oneself.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

The rate of glacier shrinkage has been increasing globally since the 1990s and at a particularly accelerated rate since 2000, according to the European Commission's monitoring body Copernicus.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

His alterations produced mixed results, in some places accelerating the flow too sharply and in others increasing the risk of flooding.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

But they face mounting pressure from habitat loss, fragmentation, and increasing human-elephant conflict.

From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026

For the full year, Walmart said it sees sales increasing by between 4% and 5%, above its previous outlook of between 3.5% and 4.5%.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

I’m walking away from the steps, backward, increasing the space between Jeremy and me, with Soon-Lee the monkey in the middle.

From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali

Related Words

• advance
• boost
• broaden
• build
• build up
• deepen
• develop
• double
• enhance
• enlarge
• escalate
• expand
• extend
• further
• heighten
• intensify
• multiply
• raise
• reinforce
• rise