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:
The BOJ’s post-meeting conference could be an important driver of yen strength next week if Gov. Ueda “flags the risk of an increase in the policy interest rate soon,” Capurso adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
That marked a nearly 40% increase year over year and prompted ServiceNow to raise the bottom end of its subscription sales outlook range.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The increase is "primarily due to an acceleration in the delivery of capacity to meet growing demand," Ashkenazi continued.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
He added that Tesla was in "a big investment cycle" and that its spending would probably increase further over the next three years.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Church supported these cities to increase its temporal power; in many other cities, citizens became princes.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
Chief Executive Joseph Zubretsky said the imbalance between Medicaid rates and medical costs appears to have stabilized and is well positioned to be corrected with future rate increases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Major League Soccer has reportedly seen significant increases in ticket sales.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
But if average annual inflation is 3%, in three decades, when today’s 30-year-olds will be approaching retirement, that increases to $148,000 in typical annual spending.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
The shuttle greatly increases both the speed and efficiency of triplet energy transfer compared with a methylated analog that does not contain the proton shuttle.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
Because terraces soak up more sunlight than steep slopes, maize can be grown at higher than usual altitudes on them; irrigation similarly increases the area available for maize farming.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The increased scrutiny by the US of Chinese AI companies also comes as Trump is expected to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in September.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Revenue rose 10% to $3.94 billion, driven by increased fuel surcharge revenue paired with higher volume and pricing across merchandise, intermodal and coal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The company also increased its capital expenditure estimate for the full year to as much as $205 billion, a jump from $190 billion last quarter.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
Many people who have opted for ARMs are likely to be able to absorb those increased costs, according to ICE data.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Even more shocking was that the terms of the loans were changing, in ways that increased the likelihood they would go bad.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
Oil’s unrelenting rise is increasing the chances of a hawkish Fed surprise next week, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
But it is a careful balancing act – increasing borrowing costs also risks harming the economy.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
The year after they bought the house, their property taxes went up $800 a month, increasing their total housing costs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 22, 2026
Engineers have traditionally prevented this interference by increasing the distance between antennas, but wider spacing creates a different set of problems.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
We course through the ground, steadily increasing in speed.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.