increasing
Americanadjective
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growing larger or greater; enlarging; augmenting.
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Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is greater than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nondecreasing.
Usage
What does increasing mean? Increasing is an adjective that means growing or rising—becoming greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way. It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb increase, which means to become greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will increase as demand increases. The word increased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have risen or grown, as in an increased appetite. Example: The increasing value of the dollar.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of increasing
Explanation
Increasing means getting bigger or expanding. You'll be glad to have an increasing income, but perhaps less glad to have an increasing pants size. The adjective increasing describes anything that grows or becomes greater. Increasing volume from your neighbor's radio will drive you crazy, since it's getting louder and louder. If your tiny school attracts increasing numbers of new students, it's likely that new teachers will need to be hired. Increasing comes from the verb increase, or grow, with its Latin root word, increscere, "to grow upon, grow over, swell, or grow into."
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.
Throughout the cycle, Wagner arranges and combines them with increasing sophistication.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
They camped out in Churchill, Manitoba, along the Hudson Bay, where hundreds of polar bears migrate each winter, to capture their increasing encroachment into human communities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Insulin resistance occurs when the body's cells become less responsive to insulin, making it harder to regulate blood sugar and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
But he said Israel would need to rely more on cheaper artillery or non-sophisticated bombs, further increasing risks of civilian casualties that have enraged international opinion.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026
When you are the frog in the pot, you sometimes congratulate yourself for surviving the heat, failing to notice the temperature increasing.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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