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; 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

China is also increasing its use of AI-enabled military systems, according to a US Department of Defense assessment published last year.

From BBC • May 6, 2026

The next challenge is increasing the engine's power even further.

From Science Daily • May 6, 2026

AI’s increasing power and heat demands are making traditional cooling obsolete, creating a boom market for advanced liquid cooling solutions.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

Experts, she says, need to focus on increasing the resilience of critical infrastructure and government bureaucracies.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

The increasing rain pulls stray feathers from her wings and pins them to the mud below.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

Related Words

• accelerating
• deepening
• escalating
• growing
• intensifying