increase
Americanverb (used with object)
-
increases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
increased,
past participle, past
-
increasing
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
increases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
increased,
past participle, past
-
increasing
present participle
noun
-
increases
plural
-
growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc..
the increase of crime.
-
the act or process of increasing.
- Synonyms:
- expansion, enlargement
-
that by which something is increased.
-
the result of increasing.
-
produce of the earth.
-
product; profit; interest.
-
Obsolete.
-
multiplication by propagation; production of offspring.
-
offspring; progeny.
-
verb
noun
-
the act of increasing; augmentation
-
the amount by which something increases
-
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
-
increasernoun
-
nonincreasenoun
-
preincreasenoun
-
superincreasenoun
-
reincreaseverb
-
preincreaseverb (used with object)
-
superincreaseverb (used with object)
-
increasableadjective
-
nonincreasableadjective
-
proincreaseadjective
-
quasi-increasedadjective
-
unincreasableadjective
-
unincreasedadjective
-
increasedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
increasesimple
-
increasessimple
-
have increasedperfect
-
has increasedperfect
-
am increasingprogressive
-
are increasingprogressive
-
is increasingprogressive
-
have been increasingperfect progressive
-
has been increasingperfect progressive
Past
-
increasedsimple
-
had increasedperfect
-
was increasingprogressive
-
were increasingprogressive
-
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"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Arithmetic, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 17, Lesson 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
“Rent is very high, and everything is expensive. It’s hard living here. We need a wage increase for the Olympics because everything costs so much,” Avyla said in Spanish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
"Even a modest increase in forecast confidence a day earlier can provide more usable preparation time for communities in a storm's path," Fischer said.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Other insects that had seen an increase in their numbers locally included the clouded yellow butterfly, a European migratory species known to have "peak" years during unusually hot summers.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Now that they have been living in a higher-rate world for a few years, an increase won’t be as painful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
In the next room, the guests complain about the sudden increase in temperature.
From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
In September, nearly all the major mortgage lenders in the UK announced increases in the cost of home loans.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Smaller increases in rents and home prices, the biggest expense for most people, are a big reason for that.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
In February, under Walter’s ownership, the Lakers announced significant increases in ticket prices for the 2026-27 season.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
The data are unlikely to significantly weaken expectations for further interest-rate increases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
His second set of awards gave out more wage increases and benefits.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
The research was observational, meaning it identified statistical associations rather than proving that preservatives were directly responsible for the increased risks.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
That substantially increased the financial exposure of the plan and jeopardy to its member companies, experts said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 20, 2026
The minister also said that the use of drones and tagging would be increased to help protect beachgoers.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Amodei also called for increased regulation of the frontier AI labs, with a focus on “transparency and third-party auditing.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 19, 2026
Technology, however, has also increased the number of opportunities we have to hear music.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
The additional data could also allow researchers to apply more sophisticated quantum information techniques to particle physics, potentially increasing the sensitivity of future searches for previously unknown phenomena.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
This scheme works, Saylor says, because Bitcoin has been increasing in price.
From Slate ● Sep. 20, 2026
Japan's central bank has raised its main interest rate to a fresh 31-year high as it continues to move away from decades of ultra-low borrowing costs and as the country faces increasing economic pressures.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Dziarski says that BAM is also increasing its diversification by expanding its client base over the last 10 years and bolstering its capital market fees to $250 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Seth stayed a couple of steps ahead of her, and the swift satyr was gradually increasing his lead.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
