Increase has 10 different meanings across 3 categories:
Noun · Verb · Proper Noun
An amount by which a quantity is increased.
"The increase was surprisingly small, adding only five dollars to the total bill."
In plain English: An increase is a rise in the amount or size of something.
"The recent increase in gas prices has made commuting more expensive for many families."
Usage: Use "increase" as a noun to refer to the specific amount or degree by which something has grown larger. It functions as a thing, such as stating that there was a significant increase in temperature.
make bigger or more
"The boss finally increased her salary"
"The university increased the number of students it admitted"
(of a quantity, etc.) To become larger or greater.
"After the heavy rains, the water level in the river increased significantly overnight."
In plain English: To increase means to make something larger or more of it.
"The number of customers increased after we lowered the price."
Usage: Use "increase" to describe something that grows in size, amount, or intensity over time. It functions as both a transitive verb, such as increasing the volume, and an intransitive verb, like traffic increased during rush hour.
A male given name.
"The class roster showed a new entry for Increase, who had recently moved in next door."
The word "increase" comes from the Latin phrase increscere, which literally meant "to grow in." It entered English through Anglo-Norman and Middle English, originally functioning as a verb before becoming the noun we use today.