increase
Americanverb (used with object)
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increases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
increased,
past participle, past
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increasing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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increases,
present (3rd person singular)
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increased,
past participle, past
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increasing
present participle
noun
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increases
plural
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growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc..
the increase of crime.
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the act or process of increasing.
- Synonyms:
- expansion, enlargement
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that by which something is increased.
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the result of increasing.
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produce of the earth.
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product; profit; interest.
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Obsolete.
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multiplication by propagation; production of offspring.
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offspring; progeny.
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verb
noun
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the act of increasing; augmentation
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the amount by which something increases
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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
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increasernoun
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nonincreasenoun
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preincreasenoun
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superincreasenoun
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reincreaseverb
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preincreaseverb (used with object)
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superincreaseverb (used with object)
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increasableadjective
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nonincreasableadjective
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proincreaseadjective
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quasi-increasedadjective
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unincreasableadjective
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unincreasedadjective
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increasedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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increasesimple
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increasessimple
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have increasedperfect
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has increasedperfect
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am increasingprogressive
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are increasingprogressive
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is increasingprogressive
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have been increasingperfect progressive
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has been increasingperfect progressive
Past
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increasedsimple
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had increasedperfect
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was increasingprogressive
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were increasingprogressive
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had been increasingperfect progressive
Future
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!
Vocabulary lists containing increase
"Siberian Survivors" and "Tigers in the Wild"
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!
Arithmetic, List 1
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Unit 17, Lesson 2
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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.
See Examples For:
The increase in Ashes ticket prices is stark - the minimum price the last time Edgbaston held a Test in 2023 was £65, a rise of £50 to £115 in just four years.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
She also said that strategic investments in real estate, digital and marketing continued to expand the company’s reach and increase client engagement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
The plan had nearly 700,000 residential policies in force as of June, a 157% increase since September 2022.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Local governments might increase tax rates, charge higher fees, cut services — or all of the above.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Multi-part performance in either the vocal or instrumental milieu is cognitively beneficial, and will increase a child’s musical competence.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The industry has struggled in recent years, after menu-price increases earlier in the decade — in part a response to supply and job-market disruptions due to the pandemic — scared customers away.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
They also notice price increases much more than they notice price cuts, said Weber.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
It concedes that higher oil consumption “increases all domestic consumers’ exposure to the risks of potential rapid increases in oil prices.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
In prepared remarks at the Istanbul Economic Forum, Christopher Waller said the economic data underscoring the need for interest-rate increases hasn’t shifted much.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
It starts at zero, increases to a maximum, and then decreases to zero again.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
Garry Bell, a tax advisor to high value residents, said if tax for wealthy individuals was increased he believed Jersey would lose them.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
Both main contracts were down around 0.7 percent Friday, though that is after they fell as much as four percent on concerns about increased Iranian strikes in the Strait of Hormuz.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
The 10-year Treasury yield last traded 4.7 basis points higher at 5.323%, while the 30-year Treasury yield increased 5.1 basis points to 5.711%, according to Tradeweb.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
Not to mention that there is constant information about new stimuli that bring increased health risks, whether it be food recalls or the many warnings about being on that damn phone.
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
The officials of the tannery had increased as well.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Galea, 34, is one of an increasing number of women in the UK reporting feeling angrier than ever.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
The most vulnerable group to increasing interest rates are those who must deal with higher borrowing costs without much ability to increase their earnings.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026
Oral treatment with lacosamide was effective in preclinical testing, but drugs taken by mouth circulate throughout the body, increasing the potential for unwanted effects elsewhere.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 8, 2026
And all this comes as forecasters say odds are increasing that this El Niño will be the strongest in the modern record, which goes back to 1950.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
It may even be that those factors play a very subtle and complex role in increasing the odds of something happening to him in the next seventy-two hours.
From "Blink" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
