increase

increase
    n 1: a quantity that is added; "there was an addition to
         property taxes this year"; "they recorded the cattle's gain
         in weight over a period of weeks" [syn: {addition},
         {increase}, {gain}]
    2: a change resulting in an increase; "the increase is scheduled
       for next month" [ant: {decrease}, {drop-off}, {lessening}]
    3: a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or
       more important; "the increase in unemployment"; "the growth
       of population" [syn: {increase}, {increment}, {growth}] [ant:
       {decrease}, {decrement}]
    4: the amount by which something increases; "they proposed an
       increase of 15 percent in the fare" [syn: {increase},
       {increment}] [ant: {decrease}, {decrement}]
    5: the act of increasing something; "he gave me an increase in
       salary" [syn: {increase}, {step-up}] [ant: {decrease},
       {diminution}, {reduction}, {step-down}]
    v 1: become bigger or greater in amount; "The amount of work
         increased" [ant: {decrease}, {diminish}, {fall}, {lessen}]
    2: make bigger or more; "The boss finally increased her salary";
       "The university increased the number of students it admitted"
       [ant: {decrease}, {lessen}, {minify}]
    

Increase \In*crease"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Increased}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Increasing}.] [OE. incresen, encresen, enrescen, OF.
   encreistre, fr. L. increscere; pref. in- in + crescere to
   grow. See {Crescent}, and cf. {Decrease}.]
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   1. 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}.
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            The waters increased and bare up the ark. --Gen.
                                                  vii. 17.
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            He must increase, but I must decrease. --John iii.
                                                  30.
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            The heavens forbid
            But that our loves and comforts should increase,
            Even as our days do grow!             --Shak.
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   2. To multiply by the production of young; to be fertile,
      fruitful, or prolific.
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            Fishes are more numerous or increasing than beasts
            or birds, as appears by their numerous spawn. --Sir
                                                  M. Hale.
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   3. (Astron.) To become more nearly full; to show more of the
      surface; to wax; as, the moon increases.
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   {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.

   Usage: To {Increase}, {Enlarge}, {Extend}. Enlarge implies to
          make larger or broader in size. Extend marks the
          progress of enlargement so as to have wider
          boundaries. Increase denotes enlargement by growth and
          internal vitality, as in the case of plants. A kingdom
          is enlarged by the addition of new territories; the
          mind is enlarged by knowledge. A kingdom is extended
          when its boundaries are carried to a greater distance
          from the center. A man's riches, honors, knowledge,
          etc., are increased by accessions which are made from
          time to time.
          [1913 Webster]
    

Increase \In*crease"\, 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.
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         I will increase the famine.              --Ezek. v. 16.
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         Make denials
         Increase your services.                  --Shak.
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Increase \In"crease\ (?; 277), n. [OE. encres, encresse. See
   {Increase}, v. i.]
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   1. Addition or enlargement in size, extent, quantity, number,
      intensity, value, substance, etc.; augmentation; growth.
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            As if increase of appetite had grown
            By what it fed on.                    --Shak.
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            For things of tender kind for pleasure made
            Shoot up with swift increase, and sudden are
            decay'd.                              --Dryden.
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   2. That which is added to the original stock by augmentation
      or growth; produce; profit; interest.
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            Take thou no usury of him, or increase. --Lev. xxv.
                                                  36.
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            Let them not live to taste this land's increase.
                                                  --Shak.
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   3. Progeny; issue; offspring.
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            All the increase of thy house shall die in the
            flower of their age.                  --1 Sam. ii.
                                                  33.
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   4. Generation. [Obs.] "Organs of increase." --Shak.
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   5. (Astron.) The period of increasing light, or luminous
      phase; the waxing; -- said of the moon.
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            Seeds, hair, nails, hedges, and herbs will grow
            soonest if set or cut in the increase of the moon.
                                                  --Bacon.
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   {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.
        [1913 Webster]
    

320 Moby Thesaurus words for "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