increase definition

English

Alternative forms

• encrease (obsolete)

Etymology

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

The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb.

Pronunciation

• (verb): enPR: ĭnkrēsʹ, IPA^(key): /ɪnˈkɹiːs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• (noun): enPR: ĭnʹkrēs, IPA^(key): /ˈɪnkɹiːs/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːs
• Hyphenation: in‧crease

Verb

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

1. (intransitive) (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater.

   His rage only increased when I told him of the lost money.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Genesis 7:17:

     The waters increased and bare up the ark.

   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act II, scene i]:

     The heavens forbid / But that our loves and comforts should increase, / Even as our days do grow!

   • 2019 February 3, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America‎^[1], archived from the original on 7 February 2019:

     The report said that deep learning methods increased from just 118 patent requests in 2013 to nearly 2,400 in 2016.

     Audio (US)

     (file)

2. (transitive) To make (a quantity, etc.) larger.
   • 2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist:

     The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.

3. To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
   • a. 1677, Matthew Hale, The Primitive Origination of Mankind, Considered and Examined According to the Light of Nature, London: […] William Godbid, for William Shrowsbery, […], published 1677, OCLC 42005461:

     Fishes are infinitely more numerous of increasing than Beasts or Birds, as appears by the numerous Spawn.

4. (astronomy, intransitive) To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax.

   The Moon increases.

Synonyms

• (become larger): wax, go up, grow, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also Thesaurus:increase
• (make larger): increment, raise, up (informal); See also Thesaurus:augment
• (multiply by production of young): proliferate, propagate, teem
• (to show more of the surface): wax

Antonyms

• (become larger): decrease, drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also Thesaurus:decrease
• (make larger): cut, decrease, decrement, lower, reduce; See also Thesaurus:diminish
• (multiply by production of young):
• (to show more of the surface): wane

Derived terms

• increasable
• Increase

Translations

Noun

increase (countable and uncountable, plural increases)

1. An amount by which a quantity is increased.
   • 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist:

     Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.

   • 2018, VOA Learning English > China's Melting Glacier Brings Visitors, Adds to Climate Concerns

     She says an increase in melting from climate change may put that at risk.

2. For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger
3. Offspring, progeny
   • 1599, [Thomas] Nashe, Nashes Lenten Stuffe, […], London: […] [Thomas Judson and Valentine Simmes] for N[icholas] L[ing] and C[uthbert] B[urby] […], OCLC 228714942, page 2:

     That infortunate imperfit Embrion of my idle houres the Ile of Dogs before mentioned, breeding vnto me ſuch bitter throwes in the teaming as it did, and the tempeſtes that aroſe at his birth, ſo aſtoniſhing outragious and violent as if my braine had bene conceiued of another Hercules, I was ſo terrifyed with my owne encreaſe (like a woman long trauailing to bee deliuered of a monſter) that it was no ſooner borne but I was glad to run from it.

4. (knitting) The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting).

Synonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is increased): gain, increment, raise (US, said of pay), rise, uptick; See also Thesaurus:adjunct or Thesaurus:acquisition
• (act or process of becoming larger): enlargement, expansion; See also Thesaurus:augmentation

Antonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is increased): cut, decrease, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage; See also Thesaurus:decrement
• (act or process of becoming larger): decline, decrease, diminishment; See also Thesaurus:diminution

Translations

Further reading

• increase in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• increase in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• increase at OneLook Dictionary Search.

Anagrams

• Cairenes, Ceresian, cerasine, resiance