increase

in·crease

Use increase in a sentence

verb

Increase is defined as to become bigger or greater.

An example of increase is someone getting a raise in their salary.

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"increase." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase>.

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increase. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase

increase

intransitive verb

-·creased′, -·creas′ing

to become greater in size, amount, degree, etc.; grow
to become greater in numbers by producing offspring; multiply; propagate

Origin of increase

Middle English encresen from Old French encreistre from Classical Latin increscere from in-, in, on + crescere, to grow: see crescent

to cause to become greater in size, amount, degree, etc.; add to; augment

an increasing or becoming increased; specif.,
1. growth, enlargement, etc.
2. Archaic multiplication, as of offspring
the result or amount of an increasing: a population increase of 10%

Origin of increase

ME encrese

increase Idioms

on the increase

increasing

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MLA Style

"increase." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase>.

APA Style

increase. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase

increase

verb

in·creased, in·creas·ing, in·creas·es

verb

intransitive

To become greater or larger.
To multiply; reproduce.

verb

transitive

To make greater or larger.

noun

The act of increasing: a steady increase in temperature.
The amount or rate by which something is increased: a tax increase of 15 percent.
Obsolete Reproduction and spread; propagation.

Origin of increase

Middle English encresen from Old French encreistre encreiss- from Latin incrēscere in- intensive pref. ; see in- ². crēscere to grow ; see ker-² in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

in·creas′a·ble
adjective

in·creas′er
noun

in·creas′ing·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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MLA Style

"increase." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase>.

APA Style

increase. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase

increase

increase expand enlarge extend augment multiply ¹

These verbs mean to make or become greater or larger. Increase sometimes suggests steady growth: The mayor's political influence rapidly increased. “No machines will increase the possibilities of life. They only increase the possibilities of idleness” (John Ruskin). To expand is to increase in size, area, volume, bulk, or range: He inhaled deeply, expanding his chest. “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion” (C. Northcote Parkinson). Enlarge refers to expansion in size, extent, capacity, or scope: The landowner enlarged her property by repeated purchases. My knowledge of literature has enlarged considerably since I joined a reading group. To extend is to lengthen in space or time or to broaden in range: The transit authority extended the subway line to the next town. The baseball season extends into October. Augment usually applies to what is already developed or well under way: She augmented her collection of books each month. His depression augments with each visit to the hospital. To multiply is to increase in number, especially by propagation or procreation: “As for my cats, they multiplied” (Daniel Defoe). “May thy days be multiplied!” (Sir Walter Scott).

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"increase." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 16 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase>.

APA Style

increase. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Increase

Verb

(third-person singular simple present increases, present participle increasing, simple past and past participle increased)

(intransitive, of a quantity) To become larger.
To make (a quantity) larger.
To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
(astronomy) To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax.
The Moon increases.

Noun

(plural increases)

An amount by which a quantity is increased.
For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger
(knitting) The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting).

Origin

From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Old French, from Latin increscere (“increase”), present active infinitive of increscō, from in (“in, on”) + crescō (“grow”).

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.