increase
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
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growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc..
the increase of crime.
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the act or process of increasing.
- Synonyms:
- expansion, enlargement
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that by which something is increased.
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the result of increasing.
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produce of the earth.
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product; profit; interest.
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Obsolete.
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multiplication by propagation; production of offspring.
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offspring; progeny.
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verb
noun
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the act of increasing; augmentation
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the amount by which something increases
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increasing, esp becoming more frequent
Usage
What does increase mean? To increase is to become greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will increase as demand increases. As a verb, increase is also used in an active way in which someone or something is doing the increasing, as in I’m going to increase my hours at work or These sunglasses increase visibility. Increase can also be used as a noun referring to a rise or growth in something, as in We are experiencing an increase in applicants. It can also refer to the amount by which something has increased, as in The increase was $5,000 per year. The words increased and increasing can both be used as adjectives, as in an increased appetite or increasing sales. The opposite of increase as both a verb and a noun is decrease. Example: My boss increased my workload, which led to an increase in stress.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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increasernoun
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nonincreasenoun
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preincreasenoun
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superincreasenoun
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reincreaseverb
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preincreaseverb (used with object)
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superincreaseverb (used with object)
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increasableadjective
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nonincreasableadjective
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proincreaseadjective
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quasi-increasedadjective
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unincreasableadjective
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unincreasedadjective
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increasedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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increasesimple
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increasessimple
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have increasedperfect
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has increasedperfect
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am increasingprogressive
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are increasingprogressive
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is increasingprogressive
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have been increasingperfect progressive
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has been increasingperfect progressive
Past
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increasedsimple
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had increasedperfect
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was increasingprogressive
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were increasingprogressive
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had been increasingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of increase
First recorded in 1370–1395; Middle English incresen, encresen, from Anglo-French encres-, Middle French encreis(s)-, stem of encreistre, from Latin incrēscere, equivalent to in- in- 2 + crēscere “to grow”; see crescent
Explanation
The noun increase indicates growth of something that gets bigger in number or volume. When used as a verb, it means the act of growing or gaining more. However it's used, it refers to something that has gotten bigger. Anything that can add on can increase. You can increase your speed to go faster, increase your strength by working out, increase your knowledge by studying, and increase your circle of friends by meeting more people. You can work harder to see an increase of profits, and you can prevent an increase in your electric bill by turning out unnecessary lights. And now you’ve increased your vocabulary by learning a new word!
Vocabulary lists containing increase
"Siberian Survivors" and "Tigers in the Wild"
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Arithmetic, List 1
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Unit 17, Lesson 2
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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.
See Examples For:
This - coupled with the increase in household energy bills on 1 July when the new Ofgem price cap takes effect - is expected to push UK inflation higher.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Hence, the bank’s non-net interest income should increase 20% and offset net-interest-income contraction this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Prologis, the world’s largest owner of industrial real estate, said Wednesday that it is offering 0.092 new shares for each Segro share tendered, a 9.5% increase over its initial proposal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Save Face has warned of an increase in serious complications linked to BBL procedures, including infections, sepsis and abscesses requiring hospital treatment.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
He instructs me through the usual exercises: repetitions to strengthen my quads, hips, and hamstrings; balance exercises to help with proper alignment; stretches to increase my range of motion.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
Bank Indonesia kept its benchmark seven-day reverse repo rate unchanged at 5.75%, taking a breather after delivering a cumulative 100 basis points of rate increases in May and June.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Diabetes UK says better follow-up care also needs to be offered to mums-to-be diagnosed with gestational diabetes in pregnancy because it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes after childbirth.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The central bank previously delivered a cumulative 100 basis points of rate increases in May and June.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Researchers focused on temporary increases in brain "entropy," a term describing the variety and unpredictability of neural activity.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
They expected to find that the disintegration yield rose in a curve consonant with increases in the energy of the bombarding deuterons.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Eurozone government bond yields opened slightly higher as oil prices increased, while lower-than-expected headline U.K. inflation for June had little immediate impact.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Evans said rough sleeping had also "increased significantly", with vulnerable individuals "left without support".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The rapid growth of generative AI and large scale AI models has sharply increased the amount of computing power required by data centers and servers.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
The increased pressure forced Canadian mining company Sherritt International to pause operations at a nickel and cobalt mine in Cuba earlier this year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
America’s new canal and railroad systems had increased the flow of goods across the expanding country.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
“With the increasing number of online businesses offering subscriptions, it is important to ensure that businesses are acting transparently and that consumers have the power to manage and cancel these subscriptions more easily,” said Atty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
They were put back on sale as general admission tickets, increasing the number available for genuine fans.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events in Japan and elsewhere.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gross margins improved slightly in the third quarter, increasing to 9.9%.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The Osage prevailed upon the government to divide the land solely among members of the tribe, thereby increasing each individual’s allotment from 160 acres to 657 acres.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
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.
