increase

UK: noun: /ˈɪnkriːs/, verb: /ɪnˈkriːs/

US: /v. ɪnˈkris; n. ˈɪnkris/

US: (v. in krēs′; n. in′krēs)

Inflections of 'increase' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

increases

v 3rd person singular

increasing

v pres p

increased

v past

increased

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•crease /v. ɪnˈkris; n. ˈɪnkris/   v., -creased, -creas•ing, n. 
v. 

1. to (cause to) become greater: [no object]
   Her knowledge increased daily.
   [~ + object]
   went to school to increase his knowledge of business.

n. 

2. growth in size, strength, or quality:
   [uncountable] The economy is on the increase.
3. Business an amount by which something is increased:
   [countable] an increase of 12%.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

in•crease  (v. in krēs′;n. in′krēs), v., -creased, -creas•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality;
   augment;
   add to:
   to increase taxes.

v.i. 

2. to become greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality:
   Sales of automobiles increased last year.
3. Developmental Biology to multiply by propagation.
4. to wax, as the moon.

n. 

5. growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc.:
   the increase of crime.
6. the act or process of increasing.
7. Business that by which something is increased.
8. the result of increasing.
9. produce of the earth.
10. Business product;
    profit;
    interest.
11. Developmental Biology [Obs.]
    • multiplication by propagation;
      production of offspring.
    • offspring;
      progeny.

• 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

in•creas′a•ble, adj. 
in•creas•ed•ly  (in krē′sid lē), adv.  Synonyms

• 1. 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. expand, grow, develop, swell.
• 6. enlargement, expansion.

Antonyms

• 1, 3. decrease.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

increase verb / ɪnˈkriːs/

1. to make or become greater in size, degree, frequency, etc; grow or expand

noun / ˈɪnkriːs/

1. the act of increasing; augmentation
2. the amount by which something increases
3. on the increase ⇒ increasing, esp becoming more frequent

Etymology: 14th Century: from Old French encreistre, from Latin incrēscere, from in-² + crēscere to grow

inˈcreasable adjective

increasedly / ɪnˈkriːsɪdlɪ/, inˈcreasingly adverb

inˈcreaser noun