to make or become greater in size, degree, frequency, etc; grow or expand
the act of increasing; augmentation the amount by which something increases - on the increase ⇒
increasing, esp becoming more frequent
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
in•crease /v. ɪnˈkris; n. ˈɪnkris/USA pronunciation
v., -creased, -creas•ing, n.
v.
n.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025v.
- to (cause to) become greater: [no object]Her knowledge increased daily.[~ + object]went to school to increase his knowledge of business.
n.
- growth in size, strength, or quality:[uncountable]The economy is on the increase.
- Business an amount by which something is increased:[countable]an increase of 12%.
in•crease
(v. in krēs′;n. in′krēs),USA pronunciation v., -creased, -creas•ing, n.
v.t.
v.i.
n.
in•creas′a•ble, adj.
in•creas•ed•ly
(in krē′sid lē),USA pronunciation adv.
v.t.
- to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality;
augment;
add to:to increase taxes.
v.i.
- to become greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality:Sales of automobiles increased last year.
- Developmental Biologyto multiply by propagation.
- to wax, as the moon.
n.
- growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc.:the increase of crime.
- the act or process of increasing.
- Businessthat by which something is increased.
- the result of increasing.
- produce of the earth.
- Businessproduct;
profit;
interest. - Developmental Biology[Obs.]
- multiplication by propagation;
production of offspring. - offspring;
progeny.
- multiplication by propagation;
- Latin incrēscere, equivalent. to in- in-2 + crēscere to grow; see crescent
- Anglo-French encres-, Middle French encreiss-, stem of encreistre
- Middle English incresen, encresen 1275–1325
- 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged expand, extend, prolong. Increase, augment, enlarge may all mean to make larger. To increase means to make greater, as in quantity, extent, degree:to increase someone's salary; to increase the velocity; to increase the(degree of ) concentration. Enlarge means to make greater in size, extent, or range:to enlarge a building, a business, one's conceptions.Augment, a more formal word, means to make greater, esp. by addition from the outside:to augment one's income(by doing extra work).
- 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged expand, grow, develop, swell.
- 6.See corresponding entry in Unabridged enlargement, expansion.
- 1, 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged decrease.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'increase speed' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):