increase

Etymology

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

1. (intransitive) (of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater.
   His rage only increased when I told him of the lost money.
   The report said that deep learning methods increased from just 118 patent requests in 2013 to nearly 2,400 in 2016. Audio (US) (file) 3 February 2019, “UN Study: China, US, Japan Lead World AI Development”, in Voice of America, archived from the original on 2019-02-07
2. (transitive) To make (a quantity, etc.) larger.
   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. 2013 July-August, Fenella Saunders, “Tiny Lenses See the Big Picture”, in American Scientist
3. To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile, fruitful, or prolific.
4. (astronomy, intransitive) To become more nearly full; to show more of the surface; to wax.
   The Moon increases.

noun

1. An amount by which a quantity is increased.
   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. 2013 July-August, Philip J. Bushnell, “Solvents, Ethanol, Car Crashes & Tolerance”, in American Scientist
   She says an increase in melting from climate change may put that at risk. File:She says an increase in melting from climate change may put that at risk.ogg 2018, VOA Learning English > China's Melting Glacier Brings Visitors, Adds to Climate Concerns
2. For a quantity, the act or process of becoming larger
3. Offspring, progeny
4. (knitting) The creation of one or more new stitches; see Increase (knitting).