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

Another factor that can increase the cost of graduation is buying an official photograph, with providers specified by your university, adds Allingham.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Those pressures have prompted companies to increase exports and expand overseas in recent years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

The researchers found rent expenses tend to increase after age 80 or 85, potentially because retirees sell their homes and move into rental housing or enter assisted-living or long-term-care facilities.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The 2024 report predicting the economic impact of the World Cup in LA estimated a $160 million revenue increase for hotels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

“His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,” said she, “and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment!”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

Across the river at the University of Manchester, the price increases by a pound for undergraduates and postgraduates, but those with a doctorate pay £57.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Moderating pay increases are another reminder of the slow-motion cost crunch that both businesses and workers are facing at the moment.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Eurozone businesses do not expect to see a pickup in wage increases this year and next, while households have lowered their expectations for the pace of future price rises, the European Central Bank said Friday.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

“Summer increases in COVID-19 activity have occurred yearly since 2020, so it is not unexpected to see more activity at this time,” state health officials said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

The enormously complicated sequence of movements, each of which an oarsman must execute with exquisite precision, becomes exponentially more difficult to perform as the stroke rate increases.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

Michigan has been the hardest hit state, with health officials there saying on Friday that the number infected has increased to more than 8,100.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Gold increased $54.90, or 1.37%, to $4067.60 per troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Yet in the face of that constraint — and despite the fact that the company is shifting capacity from personal-computer CPUs to server CPUs — client revenue still substantially increased from the prior-year quarter.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

The researchers then increased the molar ratio of HGF to trisulfide, moving from 1:4000 to 1:8000.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Momma’s letters started off with pale pink envelopes that increased in intensity over the years to a bright fuchsia.

From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry

Care4Calais said the route was becoming more dangerous because of the increasing numbers of people per boat.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

Regeneron’s flagship eye drug, Eylea, which has preserved the sight of millions of people with a common cause of blindness and generated roughly 80% of the company’s revenue at its peak, is facing increasing competition.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Brian Schwartz and Idan Gutkind at Oppenheimer said that while the company’s cloud backlog continues to show growth, guidance risk is also increasing, as SAP currently assumes de-escalation in Iran.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026

Looking ahead to the Olympics, Nichols said he thinks policymakers should be wary of increasing taxes and pay attention to how international tourists will respond to price hikes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

But the idea of any thing to be done in a moment, was increasing, not lessening, Mr. Woodhouse’s agitation.

From "Emma" by Jane Austen

Related Words

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