increase

[ verb in-krees; noun in-krees ]
/ verb ɪnˈkris; noun ˈɪn kris /

verb (used with object), in·creased, in·creas·ing.

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

verb (used without object), in·creased, in·creas·ing.

noun

Origin of increase

1275–1325; Middle English incresen, encresen < Anglo-French encres-, Middle French encreiss-, stem of encreistre < Latin incrēscere, equivalent to in- in-2 + crēscere to grow; see crescent

SYNONYMS FOR increase

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, especially by addition from the outside: to augment one's income ( by doing extra work ).
3 expand, grow, develop, swell.
6 enlargement, expansion.

OTHER WORDS FROM increase

Example sentences from the Web for increase

British Dictionary definitions for increase

increase

verb (ɪnˈkriːs)

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

noun (ˈɪnkriːs)

the act of increasing; augmentation
the amount by which something increases
on the increase increasing, esp becoming more frequent

Derived forms of increase

increasable, adjective increasedly (ɪnˈkriːsɪdlɪ) or increasingly, adverb increaser, noun

Word Origin for increase

C14: from Old French encreistre, from Latin incrēscere, from in- ² + crēscere to grow