increasing
Americanadjective
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growing larger or greater; enlarging; augmenting.
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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.
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Major daytime attacks by Russia, which were once rare, have been increasing.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
They also are sensitive to environmental conditions and can change chemical composition if stored at the wrong temperatures or shaken too vigorously, increasing the risk of an immune response or decreasing their effectiveness.
From Salon • Apr. 4, 2026
Without resorting to jingoism or over-sentimentality, he began to write with increasing tenderness about his native country—its climate, its countryside, its particular temperament.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Gasoline prices have reached $4 a gallon, the highest since 2022, with oil rising due to the Iran war, increasing over 30% in one month.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
“The brutal fact is that we have been losing ground at an increasing rate,” McNamara warned in a memo soon after Rolling Thunder began.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
