increase
Americanverb (used with 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
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:
Paramount must increase its payout to Warner shareholders through “ticking fees” every quarter until the deal is complete.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
Previous efforts by Walmart to increase clothing sales by offering more fashionable items have proved costly and unsuccessful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
Without a large increase in rotation after each encounter, the time required for the stripped material to fall back toward the black hole remains relatively steady.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
More attention is typically focused on either our 60s, when many Americans leave full-time jobs and claim Social Security, or our 80s, when health woes often increase.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
“Theoretically, we could add another layer and increase the density here if we need to, but let’s test S’meggs and see if that works.”
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
"In addition to commercial flights, we monitor incursions by Turkish planes and drones. Greece's geographic position increases our workload," Toki said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
In a study using mouse models, published in Nature Aging, the researchers found that APOE4 increases production of a protein called Nell2.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
Even as propaganda, it was pretty dumb — never discounting for currency fluctuation, alternative sourcing or domestic capacity increases, to name a few counterindicators.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
That growth was likely influenced by sharp, inflation-linked increases in benefits, pensions and the minimum wage.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Then I remembered something about pressure causing muscular tension which increases the pressure, etc., so that the first step is to relax the muscles.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
It is caused by an increased number of pigment-producing cells in the skin, although some CMN may appear during the first year or two of life.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Brown-Forman continues to pay out its dividend, which the board has increased for 42 consecutive years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The number and variety of plants increased over time, including locally rare species such as southern marsh orchid, greater tussock-sedge, yellow rattle and common centaury.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
That’s what makes the promise of increased Treasury buybacks through November, and other potential “tools,” more than technical maneuvers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 23, 2026
He began with sight-reading and mastering basic rhythms and pitches that gradually increased step by step to become more complex, sometimes by adding only one new note or rhythmic value at a time.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Because GLP-1 drugs reduce appetite and food intake, they may also contribute to nutritional deficiencies and loss of muscle, potentially increasing the risk of frailty and other long-term health issues.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
IC substrates are "critical" in the AI ecosystem "because they're one of the key aspects of reducing power consumption, reducing noise, increasing speed," he added.
From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026
More and more, diners are leaning into “proteinmaxxing,” the viral health trend that promotes increased protein intake with the goal of boosting metabolism, decreasing appetite and increasing muscle mass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
They say they are increasing maximum maintenance loans and reintroducing maintenance grants to help with living costs, as well as working with universities and councils to improve access to student housing.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
Hydrogen gas was building up in reactor 1, and the increasing volume of the gas, combined with the steam created by decay, was making the pressure in the containment vessel climb.
From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland
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.
