exponentially
Americanadverb
-
at a steady, rapid rate.
The cost of a college education has increased exponentially over the last 30 years.
-
Mathematics. at a continuous rate of growth or decay that can be calculated using the constant e, according to the rules of raising e to the power of a positive or negative exponent.
Any population growing exponentially must, sooner or later, encounter shortages of resources.
The measurable rate at which a radioactive nuclide’s atoms decay exponentially is the basis of radiometric dating.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exponentially
Explanation
Use exponentially when you want to say that something's increasing quickly by large amounts. Your friends and colleagues will be pleased to hear that your vocabulary is growing exponentially. The root of exponentially is the French verb exponere, meaning “to put out.” Think of a factory that puts out so many products its creations seem to increase exponentially. The mathematical origin of this word has to do with multiplying a number by itself so think also of rabbits, who are known for multiplying exponentially. Now imagine if rabbits worked in a factory... (No animals were harmed during this explanation).
Vocabulary lists containing exponentially
30 GRE Words Beginning with "E" and "F"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week in Pop Culture: May 18–24, 2019
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ly
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The wave function contains the information needed to describe the quantum system, but its size increases exponentially as more particles are added.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 20, 2026
Their numbers increased exponentially as droves began "fleeing the Covid mess … on the East Coast and West Coast," says Mark Corner, president of Southwest Montana Realtors.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
"Recruitment needs in the wind sector will grow exponentially in the coming years," Alicja Chilinska-Zawadzka, president of EDF Power Solutions Poland, tells AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
We are often told that the speed of innovation today is faster than ever before and accelerating exponentially.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
Cultivating wheat provided much more food per unit of territory, and thereby enabled Homo sapiens to multiply exponentially.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
