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

• increasingly adverb
• unincreasing adjective

Etymology

Origin of increasing

First recorded in 1590–1600; 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

The proposed deal would have valued Helion at roughly $35 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, increasing the company’s worth by more than sixfold.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Often, they buy banks inferior to their own, and issue their shares at cheap valuations, which is the opposite of what they should be doing: reducing the share count, not increasing it.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

The idea is that readers can connect in a casual, welcoming environment, all the while increasing visibility for independent bookstores.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

On the debt side, Thursday’s $1 billion add-on isn’t the first instance of CoreWeave increasing the scale of its offerings to capture interest from investors.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

She felt the water pressure steadily increasing, but before it became dangerous, the seabed emerged from the gloom.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• accelerating
• deepening
• escalating
• growing
• intensifying