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

Increasing access to cinemas is another effort, with the number of screens growing from 218 to 369 between 2019 and 2025.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

Increasing short-term debt is a tool used by the government to help fill funding holes.

From MarketWatch • May 8, 2026

Increasing numbers have fallen underwater because they haven’t built equity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

Increasing that distance to 100 nanometers reduced the antiviral effect, while spacing of 200 nanometers nearly eliminated it.

From Science Daily • Apr. 22, 2026

"Increasing bridge pressure to 1.03 atmospheres. . . . Pressure is steady. We have a good seal."

From "The Martian" by Andy Weir

Related Words

• accelerating
• deepening
• escalating
• growing
• intensifying