What does "increase" mean?
An amount by which a quantity is increased.
Increase
/ɪnˈkɹiːs/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Top 500 ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An amount by which a quantity is increased.
- Grammar: increase is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: gain, growth, increment, raise.
- Useful contrasts: acoustic dissipation, attenuated, bated.
- Usage evidence: When your business gets rolling we'll talk about an increase.
How to use "increase"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "increase" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "increase" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "increase" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "increase" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "increase" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "gain" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "increase", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An amount by which a quantity is increased. countable, uncountable
"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."
- 2 the act of increasing something wordnet
- 3 For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger. countable, uncountable
- 4 the amount by which something increases wordnet
- 5 Offspring, progeny. countable, uncountable
"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."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 a change resulting in an increase wordnet
- 7 The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting). countable, uncountable
- 8 a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important wordnet
- 9 a quantity that is added wordnet
Verb
- 1 (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater, to greaten. intransitive
"His rage only increased when I told him of the lost money."
- 2 make bigger or more wordnet
- 3 To make (a quantity, etc.) larger. transitive
"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."
- 4 become bigger or greater in amount wordnet
- 5 To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
"Fishes are infinitely more numerous of increasing than Beasts or Birds, as appears by the numerous Spawn."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax. intransitive
"The Moon increases."
Proper Noun
- 1 A male given name. historical
Antonyms
Example
"When your business gets rolling we'll talk about an increase."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "increase"?
Common synonyms include: gain, growth, increment, raise, rise, abrupt spike.
How do you use "increase" in a sentence?
When your business gets rolling we'll talk about an increase.
How do you pronounce "increase"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈkɹiːs/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English encresen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Latin increscere (“to increase”), from in (“in, on”) + crescō (“grow”). The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb.
Etymology 2
Calque of Hebrew יוֹסֵף. From increase.