proliferation

[pruh-lif-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. the growth or production of cells by multiplication of parts.

2. a rapid and often excessive spread or increase.

   nuclear proliferation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of proliferation¹

First recorded in 1855–60; proliferate + -ion

Example Sentences

And yet, in Matsumoto’s depiction of the modern era, the proliferation of numbers, letters, timelines and the like suggests that homicide is less a human tragedy than a mathematical problem that must be solved.

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The government also said it was committed to building "professional and unified security forces" and ending the proliferation of "illegal armed groups" in the country.

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“We’ve seen this proliferation of expenses essentially happening in the background,” said Wendy De La Rosa, a marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton business school.

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They point to the proliferation of ultraprocessed foods, which account for 53% of caloric consumption by American adults and are heavily stocked in most American grocery stores.

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But a proliferation of alternative statistics are helping to fill the gaps.

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