increasingly
Americanadverb
Etymology
Origin of increasingly
Explanation
This adverb applies to anything that is happening more often, in greater numbers, or with greater intensity. An increasingly hot summer keeps getting hotter. To increase something is to add to it numerically, like increasing the size of your family by having a baby. Anything that happens increasingly is growing in some way. An increasingly depressed person keeps getting sadder. An increasingly sick patient keeps getting worse. An increasingly corrupt government is getting less and less honest. When you see this word, you know something is intensifying.
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.
“Chinese companies such as DeepSeek, Alibaba, Minimax and Z.ai are increasingly important players,” wrote Gavekal Research analyst Will Denyer in a research note.
From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026
But U.S. adversaries are increasingly turning to China’s financial system and the yuan to conduct business.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Gore soberly presented the earth’s dwindling ice, rising seas and increasingly violent weather.
From Salon • Jun. 26, 2026
Paulsen says there’s no way to tell how much today’s EPS estimates reflect sustainable company performance versus increasingly reflecting rising investor optimism.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
Moreover, in recent generations, foragers have been increasingly subject to the authority of modern states, which prevent the eruption of large-scale conflicts.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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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.