increase

A2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

Also spelled encrease

US /ɪnˈkɹiːs/ See IPA manual

noun verb Freq #3579

Meanings

1

verb
To become larger in size, amount, or number.

The amount of work increased over the summer.
2

verb
To make something larger in size, amount, or number.

The boss finally increased everyone's salary.
3

noun
A rise in size, amount, or number.

They proposed an increase of 15 percent in the fare.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to make something larger in... increment

3 noun · a rise in size, amount, or... augmentation increment growthstep-up

More acquisition augment expansiongreatengrow raise rise soar upuptickwax

Opposites

cut decline decrease decrement diminishment drop fall lessen loss lower lowering minimize

Word family

Forms encreasedencreasesencreasingincreasedincreasesincreasing

Derived forms disincreaseincreasabilityincreasableincreasementincreasernonincreasereincrease

Common collocations

Etymology

From Middle English encresen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Latin increscere (“to increase”), from in (“in, on”) + crescō (“grow”). The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb.

*ḱer- (grow) Proto-Indo-European encresen Middle English encreistre xno increscō Latin encres Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Cause, Change & Process

# increase

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** ɪnˈkɹiːs
**Frequency rank:** 3579

## Meanings
1. To become larger in size, amount, or number.
2. To make something larger in size, amount, or number.
3. A rise in size, amount, or number.

## Examples
- The amount of work increased over the summer.
- The boss finally increased everyone's salary.
- They proposed an increase of 15 percent in the fare.

## Synonyms
- acquisition
- augment
- expansion
- greaten
- grow
- increment
- raise
- rise
- soar
- up
- uptick
- wax

## Antonyms
- cut
- decline
- decrease
- decrement
- diminishment
- drop
- fall
- lessen
- loss
- lower
- lowering
- minimize

## Derived Forms
- disincrease
- increasability
- increasable
- increasement
- increaser
- nonincrease
- reincrease

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *ḱer- (grow)
- Root: encresen
- Root: encreistre
- Root: increscō
- Root: encres

## Etymology
From Middle English encresen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Latin increscere (“to increase”), from in (“in, on”) + crescō (“grow”). The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb.

## AI Etymology
Increase comes from Middle English encresen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman encreistre, from Latin increscere (“to increase”), from in (“in, on”) + crescō (“grow”). The noun is from Middle English encres, from the verb. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes *ḱer- (grow) and increscō.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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