exponentially
Americanadverb
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at a steady, rapid rate.
The cost of a college education has increased exponentially over the last 30 years.
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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"
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This Week in Pop Culture: May 18–24, 2019
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ly
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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.
This is one of the more memorable scenes from the De Palma film, and it’s made exponentially worse when Carrie’s humiliation is recorded and posted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
“We know the cost of building in California is extraordinarily, exponentially higher than it needs to be,” said Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, a Republican who represents cities and towns just east of San Diego.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
The difficulty is that the amount of data required rises exponentially as more photons are added.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2026
The amount of money saved by convicted defendants during his second term is exponentially higher.
From Salon ● Sep. 27, 2026
Mark’s bad feelings about it all have escalated exponentially upon the news.
From "The Kill Order (Maze Runner, Book Four; Origin)" by James Dashner
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.
