Etimology
From Middle English encresen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Latin increscere (“increase”), present active infinitive of increscō, from in (“in, on”) + crescō (“grow”). The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb.
verb
increase (third-person singular simple present increases, present participle increasing, simple past and past participle increased)
(intransitive) (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater.
(transitive) To make (a quantity, etc.) larger.
To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
(astronomy, intransitive) To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax.
Examples
His rage only increased when I told him of the lost money.
The waters increased and bare up the ark.
The heavens forbid / But that our loves and comforts should increase, / Even as our days do grow!
The report said that deep learning methods increased from just 118 patent requests in 2013 to nearly 2,400 in 2016.
Audio
The single-imaging optic of the mammalian eye offers some distinct visual advantages. Such lenses can take in photons from a wide range of angles, increasing light sensitivity. They also have high spatial resolution, resolving incoming images in minute detail.
Fishes are infinitely more numerous of increasing than Beasts or Birds, as appears by the numerous Spawn.
The Moon increases.
Related words
synonyms
(become larger): wax, go up, grow, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also Thesaurus:increase
(make larger): increment, raise, up (informal); See also Thesaurus:augment
(multiply by production of young): proliferate, propagate, teem
(to show more of the surface): wax
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "become larger"): decrease, drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also Thesaurus:decrease
(antonym(s) of "make larger"): cut, decrease, decrement, lower, reduce; See also Thesaurus:diminish
(antonym(s) of "multiply by production of young"):
(antonym(s) of "to show more of the surface"): wane
noun
increase (countable and uncountable, plural increases)
An amount by which a quantity is increased.
For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger
Offspring, progeny
(knitting) The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting).
Examples
Surprisingly, this analysis revealed that acute exposure to solvent vapors at concentrations below those associated with long-term effects appears to increase the risk of a fatal automobile accident. Furthermore, this increase in risk is comparable to the risk of death from leukemia after long-term exposure to benzene, another solvent, which has the well-known property of causing this type of cancer.
She says an increase in melting from climate change may put that at risk.
That infortunate imperfit Embrion of my idle houres the Ile of Dogs before mentioned, breeding vnto me ſuch bitter throwes in the teaming as it did, and the tempeſtes that aroſe at his birth, ſo aſtoniſhing outragious and violent as if my braine had bene conceiued of another Hercules, I was ſo terrifyed with my owne encreaſe that it was no ſooner borne but I was glad to run from it.
Related words
synonyms
(amount by which a quantity is increased): gain, increment, raise (US, said of pay), rise, uptick; See also Thesaurus:adjunct or Thesaurus:acquisition
(act or process of becoming larger): enlargement, expansion; See also Thesaurus:augmentation
antonyms
(antonym(s) of "amount by which a quantity is increased"): cut, decrease, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage; See also Thesaurus:decrement
(antonym(s) of "act or process of becoming larger"): decline, decrease, diminishment; See also Thesaurus:diminution