Showing results for "increasing"

• present participle of increase.

increasing

American  

[in-kree-sing] / ɪnˈkri sɪŋ /

adjective

1. growing larger or greater; enlarging; augmenting.

2. Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is greater than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nondecreasing.

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Usage

What does increasing mean? Increasing is an adjective that means growing or rising—becoming greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way. It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb increase, which means to become greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will increase as demand increases. The word increased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have risen or grown, as in an increased appetite. Example: The increasing value of the dollar.

Other Word Forms

• unincreasing
  adjective
• increasingly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of increasing

First recorded in 1590–1600; see origin at increase, -ing ²

Explanation

Increasing means getting bigger or expanding. You'll be glad to have an increasing income, but perhaps less glad to have an increasing pants size. The adjective increasing describes anything that grows or becomes greater. Increasing volume from your neighbor's radio will drive you crazy, since it's getting louder and louder. If your tiny school attracts increasing numbers of new students, it's likely that new teachers will need to be hired. Increasing comes from the verb increase, or grow, with its Latin root word, increscere, "to grow upon, grow over, swell, or grow into."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

increasing

A massive upgrade package based on lessons learned in the early races - increasing downforce and reducing weight - has taken what looks like two seconds off the car's lap times.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

This reduces the need for complex measurements while also increasing sensitivity.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026

Goldman Sachs affirms its expectations that the Treasury will begin increasing coupon auction sizes from May 2027, with eventual auction-size increases limited to two- to seven-year maturities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

"With major tech companies increasing their AI infrastructure investments, additional supply requests continue to mount," the company said in a statement.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

“This traffic covered a period of more than a year, was from many different sources both on the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, and the volume was increasing daily,” Elizebeth reported.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• accelerating
• deepening
• escalating
• growing
• intensifying