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

We rightly fear nuclear proliferation, and yet “amazing grace and good fortune,” and admirable postwar statecraft, “actually bent the arc of history.”

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For all the challenges facing the Hollywood economy, the recent proliferation of new players in the awards race brings with it the hope and optimism of a new campaign.

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The Crown Prince has spoken before about pursuing nuclear weapons, and the regional proliferation risk from civilian enrichment would be significant.

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But with the advent of legal sports betting—and the proliferation of apps that make it easy to place wagers instantaneously on a smartphone—the prop bet became something else.

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We were heartened to find that this mail-order boom is providing a proliferation of excellent options just as time-stressed home cooks are looking to lighten the holiday-hosting load, or outsource it entirely.

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