growth
HighNeutral (used across all registers)
Definition
Meaning
The process or act of increasing in physical size, quantity, quality, or importance.
1. An increase in value, strength, or capability. 2. Something that has grown or is growing (e.g., a tumor, a plant). 3. Development or maturation, especially of a person, organization, or idea.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is inherently positive or neutral when describing natural or desired development. It can become negative when referring to undesirable increases (e.g., bacterial growth). It is often an uncountable mass noun, but can be countable when referring to specific instances or physical manifestations (e.g., 'a growth on the tree').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Minor spelling differences may occur in derivatives (e.g., BrE 'growthful' vs AmE 'growthful'—both rare).
Connotations
Identical core connotations of development and increase.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Noun] + growthgrowth + [of + Noun]growth + [in + Noun]growth + [from X to Y]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “growth spurt”
- “growth industry”
- “growing pains”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to increases in revenue, market share, or company size. (e.g., 'The firm is targeting 5% growth this quarter.')
Academic
Used in economics, biology, psychology, and sociology to describe quantified or qualitative development. (e.g., 'The study measured cognitive growth in adolescents.')
Everyday
Commonly refers to children getting taller, plants growing, or personal development. (e.g., 'We've seen a lot of growth in the garden this spring.')
Technical
In medicine, can refer to tumors or tissue; in economics, specific metrics like GDP growth. (e.g., 'The scan showed an abnormal growth.')
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The business is projected to grow steadily.
- She has grown in confidence since starting the course.
American English
- The startup needs to grow its user base quickly.
- He grew tomatoes in his backyard.
adverb
British English
- The plant is growing rapidly.
- The economy is growing unexpectedly quickly.
American English
- Sales are growing steadily.
- The city is growing remarkably fast.
adjective
British English
- The growth potential of the sector is enormous.
- They attended a growth mindset workshop.
American English
- Growth stocks can be volatile.
- The company has a growth-focused strategy.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The child's growth is normal for his age.
- Plants need water for growth.
- There has been strong economic growth this year.
- Personal growth is important to her.
- The rapid growth in online shopping has changed the high street.
- They measured the annual growth rate of the bacteria.
- The government's policies inadvertently stifled entrepreneurial growth.
- His theory accounts for the exponential growth observed in the initial phase.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'grow' + 'th' (like 'width' or 'length') – it's the state or result of growing.
Conceptual Metaphor
GROWTH IS A JOURNEY UPWARDS/A FORWARD MOVEMENT (e.g., 'career growth', 'growth trajectory'). GROWTH IS A LIVING PLANT (e.g., 'nurturing growth', 'seeds of growth').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'economic growth' as 'экономический рост' in contexts where 'development' (развитие) is more appropriate for qualitative improvement.
- The countable noun 'a growth' meaning a tumor or lump can be falsely associated only with the more general concept of рост.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'growth' as a verb (incorrect: 'The company growths quickly'; correct: 'The company grows quickly').
- Using 'growths' as a plural for abstract, uncountable growth (often incorrect: 'We observed many growths in the economy'; better: 'We observed much growth or many areas of growth').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'growth' most likely to be a countable noun?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily, yes. 'Grow' is the verb. 'Growth' is almost exclusively a noun, though it is used attributively in compounds like 'growth hormone' or 'growth strategy'.
'Growth' typically implies a measurable increase in size, number, or amount. 'Development' implies a more qualitative change, unfolding of capabilities, or progression through stages. A child experiences both physical growth and cognitive development.
Yes, when it refers to an undesirable increase, such as 'the growth of mold in the damp cellar' or 'the growth of extremist ideologies'.
Common patterns: 'growth in' (growth in sales), 'growth of' (the growth of the internet), 'growth from X to Y' (growth from £1m to £2m), and 'growth for' (growth for the third consecutive quarter).
Collections
Part of a collection
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