increase
B1Formal to Neutral
Definition
Meaning
to become or make something larger or greater in size, amount, intensity, or number.
The process or result of growing or becoming larger; a rise or growth. It can apply to physical size, quantity, statistics, value, or intensity.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a verb, 'increase' can be both intransitive (e.g., 'Sales increased.') and transitive (e.g., 'We increased sales.'). As a noun, it often collocates with specific determiners (e.g., a sharp increase, an increase in). It implies a measurable change from a previous state.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major grammatical or usage differences. Both accept the verb-noun stress shift. 'Rise' is a slightly more frequent synonym in BrE, especially as a noun in economic contexts.
Connotations
Generally neutral, conveying growth. In business/economic contexts, positive unless specified (e.g., 'increase in crime').
Frequency
Very high frequency in both varieties. Comparable frequency in academic, business, and general texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[VERB] (intransitive)[VERB] + OBJECT (transitive)[VERB] + BY + AMOUNT[VERB] + FROM X TO Y[VERB] + IN + NOUNan/the [NOUN] + in + NOUNVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on the increase (becoming more frequent or intense)”
- “increase by leaps and bounds (grow very rapidly)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common in reports: 'We need to increase our market share.' 'There was a 15% increase in quarterly profits.'
Academic
Used in describing trends and results: 'The data shows a steady increase in global temperatures.'
Everyday
Used for general growth: 'The number of subscribers increased.' 'We need to increase the amount of pasta for the party.'
Technical
Precise, often with exact figures or percentages in science, economics, and computing: 'The algorithm's efficiency increased by a factor of ten.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
noun
British English
- There has been a marked increase in railway fares.
- We are seeing an increase of interest in sustainable living.
American English
- The report showed an increase in consumer confidence.
- A sudden increase in temperature caused the metal to expand.
verb
British English
- The government plans to increase tax on fuel.
- Our costs have increased considerably this quarter.
- He increased the volume on the telly.
American English
- The company will increase prices starting next month.
- Productivity increased by 20% after the new system was implemented.
- Can you increase the font size on this document?
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as a standard adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as a standard adverb.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable as a standard adjective.
American English
- Not applicable as a standard adjective.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My English vocabulary is increasing.
- There was a small increase in the price of bread.
- I want to increase my running speed.
- The population of the city has increased rapidly.
- We need to increase our efforts to finish on time.
- The data shows a steady increase in smartphone usage.
- The pressure on the healthcare system increased exponentially during the pandemic.
- Share prices increased by a staggering 150% over the year.
- A sharp increase in demand led to shortages of the product.
- The policy is designed to incrementally increase the tax burden on high earners.
- The study observed a statistically significant increase in test scores following the intervention.
- Failure to increase productivity could undermine the nation's competitive edge.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of IN (into) + CREASE (like 'create' or 'grow') → to grow into a larger state.
Conceptual Metaphor
QUANTITY/AMOUNT IS VERTICAL ELEVATION (prices increase/rise/fall); GROWTH IS A JOURNEY (sales are increasing steadily).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating Russian 'увеличивать' directly as 'enlarge' for abstract concepts (use 'increase').
- Confusion with 'raise' (usually transitive and for specific things like salaries, children, objects) and 'rise' (usually intransitive).
- Remember the stress shift between noun and verb forms.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'The company increased their prices.' (prefer 'its prices' with a singular 'company')
- Incorrect preposition: 'an increase of demand' (correct: 'an increase in demand').
- Confusing 'increase by' (amount of change) with 'increase to' (final amount).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'increase' correctly as a NOUN?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The verb 'increase' has stress on the second syllable: /ɪnˈkriːs/. The noun 'increase' has stress on the first syllable: /ˈɪn.kriːs/ (UK also /ˈɪŋ.kriːs/).
'Increase by' indicates the amount of change (e.g., 'increased by £5'). 'Increase to' indicates the final total amount (e.g., 'increased to £20').
Yes, absolutely. It is commonly used with uncountable nouns like 'pressure', 'knowledge', 'traffic', 'wealth', and 'evidence' (e.g., 'an increase in traffic').
In formal/academic writing, 'augment', 'escalate', 'magnify', 'intensify', and 'proliferate' (for rapid reproduction) are strong, context-specific synonyms.