The proliferation of Internet usage has given birth to a new generation of young people.
Source: tatoeba (1963)
Proliferation
/pɹəˌlɪf.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/
Synonyms for "proliferation" (100 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (20)
Noun(2 words)
arms builduparms spread
Adjective(1 words)
bacterial growth
Strong matches (30)
Related words (50)
Noun(9 words)
infestationsmilitary expansionmitosismultiplicationmushroomingovergrowingovergrowthspreadweapon spread
Determiner(1 words)
more microbial growth
Verb(1 words)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: access, accession, accretion, accrual, accruement.
- Sentence evidence is available for proliferation, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from moby, opengloss, derived_reverse.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "proliferation".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "proliferation"
Keep "proliferation" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "proliferation" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "proliferation", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "proliferation" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
16 entriesbiological processdevelopmentgrowinggrowthgrowth processincreaseincrementinternational relations conceptmaturationontogenesisontogenyphenomenonphysiological processpolitical processsecurity issuespread
More specific
9 entriesballistic missile proliferationcell proliferationembryonic cell proliferationgeographic spreadmultiplicative growthneoplastic proliferationnuclear proliferationrapid growthtissue proliferation
Collocations
6 entriescell proliferationnuclear proliferationproliferation raterapid proliferationuncontrolled proliferationweapons proliferation
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
7 entriesAntonyms
2 entriesTranslations
24 translations across 9 languages.
Bulgarian
1 entries- нарастване noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Czech
3 entries- navyšování noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- rozšiřování noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- zvětšování noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Dutch
4 entries- toename noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- vergroting noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- versterking noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- woekering noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Finnish
1 entries- lisääntyminen noun (the act of increasing or rising)
German
4 entries- Vergrößerung noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- Verstärkung noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- Wucherung noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- Zunahme noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Greek
3 entries- αύξηση noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- πλήθυνση noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- πολλαπλασιασμός noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Italian
1 entries- proliferazione noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Russian
3 entries- пролифера́ция noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- рост noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- увеличе́ние noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Slovene
4 entries- dviganje noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- dviganje noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- večanje noun (the act of increasing or rising)
- širjenje noun (the act of increasing or rising)
Sample sentences
7 total sentences available.
Nuclear proliferation is the spread of nuclear weapons.
Source: tatoeba (11799086)
The United Nations' top human rights official says the proliferation of crises brought on by conflict, climate change, poverty and discrimination are eroding people's fundamental rights and freedoms and threatening the stability of nations worldwide.
Source: tatoeba (11840765)
One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.
Source: wiktionary
Showing 4 of 7 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "proliferation"?
Closest matches include access, accession, accretion, accrual, accruement.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "proliferation"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.