Increase

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: in=crease

CIDE DICTIONARY

Increase, v. i. [OE. incresen, encresen, enrescen, OF. encreistre, fr. L. increscere; pref. in- in + crescere to grow. See Crescent, and cf. Decrease.].

•  To become greater or more in size, quantity, number, degree, value, intensity, power, authority, reputation, wealth; to grow; to augment; to advance; -- opposed to decrease.  [1913 Webster]

  "The waters increased and bare up the ark."  [1913 Webster]

  "He must increase, but I must decrease."  [1913 Webster]

  "The heavens forbid
  But that our loves and comforts should increase,
  Even as our days do grow!"  [1913 Webster]
•  To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.  [1913 Webster]

  "Fishes are more numerous or increasing than beasts or birds, as appears by their numerous spawn."  [1913 Webster]
•  To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax; as, the moon increases.  [1913 Webster]

Increasing function (Math.), a function whose value increases when that of the variable increases, and decreases when the latter is diminished; also called a monotonically increasing function.

Syn. -- To enlarge; extend; multiply; expand; develop; heighten; amplify; raise; enhance; spread; aggravate; magnify; augment; advance.

Increase, v. t. 

 To augment or make greater in bulk, quantity, extent, value, or amount, etc.; to add to; to extend; to lengthen; to enhance; to aggravate; as, to increase one's possessions, influence.  [1913 Webster]
"I will increase the famine."  [1913 Webster]
"Make denials
Increase your services."  [1913 Webster]

Increase, n. [OE. encres, encresse. See Increase, v. i.].

•  Addition or enlargement in size, extent, quantity, number, intensity, value, substance, etc.; augmentation; growth.  [1913 Webster]

  "As if increase of appetite had grown
  By what it fed on."  [1913 Webster]

  "For things of tender kind for pleasure made
  Shoot up with swift increase, and sudden are decay'd."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is added to the original stock by augmentation or growth; produce; profit; interest.  [1913 Webster]

  "Take thou no usury of him, or increase."  [1913 Webster]

  "Let them not live to taste this land's increase."  [1913 Webster]
•  Progeny; issue; offspring.  [1913 Webster]

  "All the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age."  [1913 Webster]
•  Generation.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]
•  The period of increasing light, or luminous phase; the waxing; -- said of the moon.  [1913 Webster]

  "Seeds, hair, nails, hedges, and herbs will grow soonest if set or cut in the increase of the moon."  [1913 Webster]

Increase twist, the twixt of a rifle groove in which the angle of twist increases from the breech to the muzzle.

Syn. -- Enlargement; extension; growth; development; increment; addition; accession; production.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Increase, v. & n.
--v.
1 tr. & intr. make or become greater in size, amount, etc., or more numerous.
2 intr. advance (in quality, attainment, etc.).
3 tr. intensify (a quality).
--n.
1 the act or process of becoming greater or more numerous; growth, enlargement.
2 (of people, animals, or plants) growth in numbers; multiplication.
3 the amount or extent of an increase.

Idiom

on the increase increasing, esp. in frequency.

Derivative

increasable adj. increaser n. increasingly adv.

Etymology

ME f. OF encreiss- stem of encreistre f. L increscere (as IN-(2), crescere grow)

THESAURUS

Increase

accession, accessory, accompaniment, accretion, accrue, accumulate, add to, addenda, addendum, additament, addition, additive, additory, additum, adjunct, adjunction, adjuvant, advance, affixation, agent provocateur, agglutination, aggrandize, aggrandizement, aggravate, aggravation, ampliation, amplification, amplify, anabasis, annex, annexation, annoy, annoyance, appanage, appendage, appendant, apportion, appreciate, appurtenance, appurtenant, ascension, ascent, attachment, augment, augmentation, balloon, beef up, better, bloat, blossom, blow up, boom, boost, breakthrough, breed, brew, broaden, broadening, build, build up, bulk, bulk out, burgeon, calibrate, calibrated, clamber, climb, climbing, coda, complement, compound, concomitant, contentiousness, continuation, corollary, count, crescendo, decrease, deepen, deepening, deliberate aggravation, deployment, deteriorate, deterioration, develop, developing, development, differentiate, dilate, dispersion, distend, divide, elevation, elongate, embitter, embittering, embitterment, enhance, enhancement, enlarge, enlargement, escalade, escalating, escalation, exacerbate, exacerbation, exalt, exasperate, exasperation, expand, expanding, expansion, extend, extension, extrapolation, fanning out, fatten, fill out, fix, fixture, flare, flourish, fortify, fountain, further, gain, gain strength, gains, gather, germinate, get ahead, go up, gradational, grade, gradual, graduate, graduated, greaten, grow, grow up, growing, growth, gush, gyring up, heat up, heighten, heightening, hierarchic, hike, hike up, hiking, hot up, huff, hypertrophy, improve, increasing, increment, inflate, inflation, inmate, intensification, intensify, irritate, irritation, jack up, jet, joining, jump, jump up, junction, juxtaposition, leap, lengthen, levitation, magnification, magnify, make acute, make worse, manifold, mature, maximize, measure, mount, mounting, multiple, multiplication, multiplication table, multiplier, multiply, multiplying, mushroom, number, offshoot, on the increase, outgrow, overdevelop, overgrow, overtop, parcel, parlay, pendant, plus, prefixation, procreate, profits, progressive, proliferate, proliferating, proliferation, prolong, protract, provocation, provoke, puff, puff up, pullulate, pump, pump up, push, put up, pyramid, quantify, quantize, raise, raising, rarefy, rate, recruit, reduce, regular, reinforce, reinforcement, reproduce, rise, rising, rocketing up, run up, saltation, scalar, shade off, sharpen, sharpening, shoot up, shooting up, side effect, side issue, snowball, soaring, sour, souring, splay, spout, spread, spreading, spring, spring up, sprout, sprout up, spurt, strengthen, stretch, suffixation, sufflate, superaddition, superfetation, superjunction, superposition, supplement, supplementation, surge, swarm, swell, tables, tailpiece, takeoff, taking off, teem, thicken, thrive, tower, tumefy, undergirding, uniting, up, upclimb, upcoming, updraft, upgang, upgo, upgoing, upgrade, upgrowth, uphill, upleap, uplift, upping, uprisal, uprise, uprising, uprush, upshoot, upslope, upspear, upspring, upsprout, upsurge, upsurgence, upsweep, upswing, vault, vegetate, vise, wax, waxing, widen, widening, winnings, worsen, worsening, zooming

ROGET THESAURUS

Increase

Improvement

N improvement, amelioration, melioration, betterment, mend, amendment, emendation, mending, advancement, advance, ascent, promotion, preferment, elevation, increase, cultivation, civilization, culture, march of intellect, menticulture, race-culture, eugenics, reform, reformation, revision, radical reform, second thoughts, correction, limoe labor, refinement, elaboration, purification, oxidation, repair, recovery, revise, new edition, reformer, radical, improving, progressive, improved, better, better off, better for, all the better for, better advised, reformatory, emendatory, reparatory, remedial, corrigible, improvable, accultural, on consideration, on reconsideration, on second thoughts, on better advice, ad melius inquirendum, urbent latericiam invenit marmoream reliquit.

VB improve, be better, become better, get better, mend, amend, advance, ascend, increase, fructify, ripen, mature, pick up, come about, rally, take a favorable turn, turn over a new leaf, turn the corner, raise one's head, sow one's wild oats, recover, be better, be improved by, turn to right account, turn to good account, turn to best account, profit by, reap the benefit of, make good use of, make capital out of, place to good account, render better, improve, mend, amend, better, ameliorate, meliorate, correct, decrassify, improve upon, refine upon, rectify, enrich, mellow, elaborate, fatten, promote, cultivate, advance, forward, enhance, bring forward, bring on, foster, invigorate, touch up, rub up, brush up, furbish up, bolster up, vamp up, brighten up, warm up, polish, cook, make the most of, set off to advantage, prune, repair, put in order, review, revise, make corrections, make improvements, doctor, purify, relieve, refresh, infuse new blood into, recruit, reform, remodel, reorganize, new model, view in a new light, think better of, appeal from Philip drunk to Philip sober, palliate, mitigate, lessen an evil.

Increase

N increase, augmentation, enlargement, extension, dilatation, increment, accretion, accession, development, growth, aggrandizement, aggravation, rise, ascent, exaggeration exacerbation, spread, flood tide, gain, produce, product, profit, increased, on the increase, undiminished, additional, crescendo, vires acquirit eundo.

VB increase, augment, add to, enlarge, dilate, grow, wax, get ahead, gain strength, advance, run up, shoot up, rise, ascend, sprout, aggrandize, raise, exalt, deepen, heighten, strengthen, intensify, enhance, magnify, redouble, aggravate, exaggerate, exasperate, exacerbate, add fuel to the flame, oleum addere camino, superadd, spread.

Addition

N addition, annexation, adjection, junction, superposition, superaddition, superjunction, superfetation, accession, reinforcement, increase, increment, supplement, accompaniment, interposition, insertion, added, additional, supplemental, supplementary, suppletory, subjunctive, adjectitious, adscititious, ascititious, additive, extra, accessory, au reste, in addition, more, plus, extra, and, also, likewise, too, furthermore, further, item, and also, and eke, else, besides, to boot, et cetera, and so on, and so forth, into the bargain, cum multis aliis, over and above, moreover, with, withal, including, inclusive, as well as, not to mention, let alone, together with, along with, coupled with, in conjunction with, conjointly, jointly, adde parvum parvo magnus acervus erit.

Expansion

VB become larger &c (large), expand, widen, enlarge, extend, grow, increase, incrassate, swell, gather, fill out, deploy, take open order, dilate, stretch, distend, spread, mantle, wax, grow up, spring up, bud, bourgeon, shoot, sprout, germinate, put forth, vegetate, pullulate, open, burst forth, gain flesh, gather flesh, outgrow, spread like wildfire, overrun, be larger than, surpass, render larger &c (large), expand, spread, extend, aggrandize, distend, develop, amplify, spread out, widen, magnify, rarefy, inflate, puff, blow up, stuff, pad, cram, exaggerate, fatten.