Origin: Latin suffix -tion
Proliferation has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
growth by the rapid multiplication of parts
"The rapid proliferation of weeds overtook the garden within a single season."
a rapid increase in number (especially a rapid increase in the number of deadly weapons)
"the proliferation of nuclear weapons"
The process by which an organism produces others of its kind; breeding, propagation, procreation, reproduction.
"The rapid proliferation of bacteria in the warm soup caused it to spoil within hours."
In plain English: Proliferation is when something spreads quickly and becomes very common everywhere.
"The rapid proliferation of smartphones has changed how people communicate everywhere."
Usage: Use proliferation to describe the rapid increase or spread of something that is already present, such as weeds in a garden or data on a server. Avoid using it for simple creation from nothing, where terms like "production" or "generation" are more accurate.
The word entered English directly from French as prolifération. It retained its original sense of rapid multiplication or increase.