increasing

[ in-kree-sing ]

adjective

1. growing larger or greater; enlarging; augmenting.
2. Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is greater than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nondecreasing. Compare decreasing ( def 2 ).

Other Words From

• in·creas·ing·ly adverb
• un·in·creas·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of increasing¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; increase, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Last month, a decision at the Court of Appeal broadened the net of those who could receive compensation, potentially increasing the lenders' final bill to billions of pounds.

From BBC

Mr Musk and the Guardian are far from political bed fellows, so in that sense it is not surprising that the newspaper has responded to his and X's increasing alignment with Trump in this way.

From BBC

Ozempic, which suppresses appetite, has become popular in the US in recent years and its use has been increasing in the UK.

From BBC

There are now increasing calls for more senior members of the Church to face questions about what they knew about abuse.

From BBC

Russia is massively increasing drone strikes on Ukraine.

From BBC

Related Words

• accelerating
• deepening
• escalating
• growing
• intensifying

More About Increasing

What does increasing mean?

Increasing is an adjective that means growing or rising—becoming greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way.

It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb increase, which means to become greater or more in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will increase as demand increases.

The word increased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have risen or grown, as in an increased appetite.

Example: The increasing value of the dollar.

Where does increasing come from?

The first records of the word increasing as an adjective come from the late 1500s. Increase comes from the Latin verb incrēscere, from in-, which can indicate causation, and the Latin verb crēscere, meaning “to grow.”

Something that’s described as increasing is growing—it’s becoming bigger in size, quantity, extent, or in some other way. The opposite of increasing is decreasing.

The adverb increasingly is often used in situations in which a gradual increase is happening, as in I have become increasingly aware of my privilege and how it shields me from certain inequalities.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to increasing?

• increasingly (adverb)
• increase (verb, noun)

What are some synonyms for increasing?

• growing
• rising
• expanding

What are some words that share a root or word element with increasing? 

• decreasing

What are some words that often get used in discussing increasing?

• growth
• number
• amount
• size
• quantity
• quality
• percent
• big
• small

How is increasing used in real life?

Increasing is a common word that can be used in all kinds of contexts.

One of the most interesting papers I've read this year, on the difference between decreasing returns and increasing returns in business.

It was written in 1996 and heavily edited by Cormac McCarthy. https://t.co/nJeWGGGdyl

h/t @samhinkie

— Patrick OShaughnessy (@patrick_oshag) June 17, 2019

Major progress is expected of the cannabis industry in North America in 2021 as high levels of investment, increasing sales of cannabis-based products & legislative changes are set to define a new wave of development across the sector.

Learn more, here.https://t.co/SkVWJP15Vu pic.twitter.com/HFpC0PY5UP

— Prohibition Partners (@prohibition_p) February 10, 2021

Sleep has an ever increasing value as a parent lol

— Matt Maher (@mattmahermusic) February 12, 2021

Try using increasing!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of increasing?

A. rising
B. growing
C. declining
D. expanding