Meaning of increase In English

• 0 to (make something) become larger in amount or size:

  • Incidents of armed robbery have increased over the last few years.

  • The cost of the project has increased dramatically/significantly since it began.

  • Gradually increase the temperature to boiling point.

  • Increased/Increasing efforts are being made to end the dispute.

• 1 a rise in the amount or size of something:

  • price/tax increases

  • There were 39,000 new cases last year - an increase of six percent.

  • Any increase in production would be helpful.

  • Homelessness is on the increase in many cities.

• 2 to become or make something larger or greater:

  • [ T ] They’ve increased the price of gas by two cents a gallon.

  • [ I ] Pressure is increasing to make health insurance more widely available.

• 3 the act of becoming larger or greater or of making something larger or greater:

  • [ C ] There was a slight increase in unemployment last month.

  • Homelessness is on the increase (= increasing) in many cities.

• 4 to become larger in amount or size, or to make something do this:

  • increase by sth Sales have increased by 10%.

  • increase to sth Our gross margin increased to 24%.

  • increase in price/size/value Over the past two years the department has increased in size.

  • the number/rate/level increases Staffing numbers increase during the summer months.

  • increase gradually/slowly/steadily Bookings are increasing steadily.

  • Interest rates have increased slightly.

  • increase dramatically/rapidly/significantly The volume of work has increased dramatically.

  • increase efficiency/production/productivity The new measures are intended to increase efficiency.

  • to increase costs/prices/sales

  • This process greatly increases manufacturing speeds.

• 5 a situation in which the number, size, or amount of something gets bigger:

  • a pay/price/tax increase Customers stocked up, anticipating a January price increase.

  • an increase in sth Businesses are facing a 12% increase in energy costs.

  • an increase of sth Revenue last year was $347 million, an increase of 26%.

  • a dramatic/significant/substantial increase

  • a small/slight/steady increase

• 6 increasing:

  • Credit card fraud is on the increase.