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:
An increase would create a further puzzle: Warsh hasn’t explained how tighter policy would address the current pressures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The company has forecast second-quarter operating profits to increase 1,800 per cent on last year.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Every major shock this century has ratcheted the debt ratio higher, and none of that increase has been reversed," he said.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
The cost of prescription medications is closely watched by senior citizens, who are typically on a fixed income and may find it difficult to adjust to a price increase.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“If you put in these requested forces and increase air and sea effort, we can at least turn the tide to where we are not losing anymore,” commented Air Force Chief of Staff John McConnell.
From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin
Reserve Bank of Australia Gov. Michele Bullock warned that inflation remains too high, adding that further interest-rate increases can’t be ruled out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
For the remaining 45%, he said, the increases are largely in the $11 to $20 range a month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
That may suggest that credit investors are demanding more protection as debt issuance increases and capital spending accelerates, or that they are simply reassessing the credit risk associated with these increasingly capital-intensive business models.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Breeding speed also increases with warmer conditions, allowing adult jellyfish to reproduce in large numbers, creating so-called blooms.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
First, there is the thermodynamic arrow of time, the direction of time in which disorder or entropy increases.
From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking
In the quarter, payments volume and processed transactions both rose 10% from the year-ago period, while cross-border volumes increased 13%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Over the year, the fuel and light group increased by the most, at 19%.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Other changes include an increased budget of $85 billion for ICE, making it the single most funded federal law enforcement agency.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
The prefect's office said that, while there were flare-ups overnight, these were under control and the burnt area had not increased.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
As the night went on, the crackle and spit of exploding fireworks increased.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
"With major tech companies increasing their AI infrastructure investments, additional supply requests continue to mount," the company said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The partnership still remains in force, but in such a scenario of uncertainty, increasing investment in tennis makes strategic sense, say experts.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Goldman Sachs affirms its expectations that the Treasury will begin increasing coupon auction sizes from May 2027, with eventual auction-size increases limited to two- to seven-year maturities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
That has the ironic consequence of increasing the forecasted return of the stock market relative to the bond market.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
What Jim Kim and Jaime Bayona started in the slums of Carabayllo has been expanded to sixteen rural health posts, where an increasing number of MDR patients are successfully treated.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
