Etimology
From grow + -th. Compare Old Frisian grēd ("meadow, pasture"; > North Frisian greyde (“growth, pasture”)), Middle High German gruote, gruot (“greens, fresh growth, shoot”), Old Norse gróðr ("growth, crop"; > Faroese grøði, Danish grøde (“fruits”), Swedish gröda (“crop, harvest”)). More at grow.
noun
growth (countable and uncountable, plural growths)
An increase in size, number, value, or strength.
(economics) Ellipsis of economic growth.
An increase in psychological strength or resilience; an increased ability to overcome adversity.
(biology) The act of growing, getting bigger or higher.
(biology) Something that grows or has grown.
(pathology) An abnormal mass such as a tumor.
Examples
Growth was dampened by a softening of the global economy in 2001, but picked up in the subsequent years due to strong growth in China.
Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers. […] Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitious growth targets. That model is still prevalent today.
Liz Truss has promised Britons she has “got your back” and set out a plan for “growth, growth and growth” in a conference speech disrupted by protesters asking who voted for her plan.
Struggle, disappointment, and criticism all contribute to a person's growth.
Related words
synonyms
(increase in size): enlargement, expansion, increase, increment
(act of growing): development, maturation
(something that grows or has grown): vegetation
(pathology: abnormal mass such as a tumor): outgrowth, cancer, mass
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "increase in size"): contraction, decrease, decrement, reduction
(antonym(s) of "act of growing"): nondevelopment
hyponyms
(pathology: abnormal mass such as a tumor): tumor