— increasable , adj. — increasedly /in kree"sid lee/ , adv.
v. /in krees"/ ; n. /in"krees/ , v. , increased, increasing , n.
v.t.
1. to make greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality; augment; add to: to increase taxes.
v.i.
2. to become greater, as in number, size, strength, or quality: Sales of automobiles increased last year.
3. to multiply by propagation.
4. to wax, as the moon.
n.
5. growth or augmentation in numbers, size, strength, quality, etc.: the increase of crime.
6. the act or process of increasing.
7. that by which something is increased.
8. the result of increasing.
9. produce of the earth.
10. product; profit; interest.
11. Obs.
a. multiplication by propagation; production of offspring.
b. offspring; progeny.
[ 1275-1325; ME incresen, encresen encres-, MF encreiss-, s. of encreistre increscere, equiv. to in- IN- 2 + crescere to grow; see CRESCENT ]
Syn. 1. expand, extend, prolong. INCREASE, AUGMENT, ENLARGE may all mean to make larger. TO INCREASE means to make greater, as in quantity, extent, degree: to increase someone's salary; to increase the velocity; to increase the ( degree of ) concentration. ENLARGE means to make greater in size, extent, or range: to enlarge a building, a business, one's conceptions. AUGMENT, a more formal word, means to make greater, esp. by addition from the outside: to augment one's income ( by doing extra work ). 3. expand, grow, develop, swell. 6. enlargement, expansion.
Ant. 1, 3. decrease.