increase

Definition of increase

Etymology

From Middle English < Old French < Latin increscere ("to increase") < in ("in, on") + crescere ("to grow").

Pronunciation

• (verb): enPR: ĭnkrēs', IPA: /ɪnˈkriːs/, SAMPA: /In"kri:s/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• (noun): enPR: ĭn'krēs, IPA: /ˈɪnkriːs/, SAMPA: /"Inkri:s/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Rhymes: -iːs

Verb

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

1. (intransitive, of a quantity) to become larger.
2. (transitive) To make (a quantity) larger.

Synonyms

• (become larger): go up, grow, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly)
• (make larger): increment, raise, (informal) up

Antonyms

• (become larger): decrease, drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink
• (make larger): cut, decrease, decrement, lower, reduce

Derived terms

• increasable

Noun

increase (plural increases)

1. An amount by which a quantity is increased.
2. For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger

Synonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is increased): gain, increment, (US, said of pay) raise, rise

Antonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is increased): cut, decrease, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage

External links

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