increased

increased — verb

1. the form of the verb 'increase' that is used for the past tense and the past par

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA2
Definition

the form of the verb 'increase' that is used for the past tense and the past participle — it means that something became larger in amount, size, number, or degree at a time in the past, or that someone made something larger.

Example

The company increased its workforce by 200 people last year.

transitive: increased + direct object (workforce)

Her savings increased steadily over the five years she worked abroad.

Common collocations
  • increased by [amount/percentage]
  • increased from [X] to [Y]
  • increased steadily
  • increased dramatically
Synonyms
  • rose

    for gradual upward movement; intransitive only

  • grew

    suggests natural or steady development over time

  • expanded

    focuses on size, scope, or coverage rather than quantity

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

increased + noun phrase (transitive)

subject + increased (intransitive)

have/has/had + increased (perfect tense)

Usage Note

The base form of the verb is 'increase'. This entry shows the past tense and past participle form only. For full verb patterns (future, continuous, infinitive, etc.), see the entry for 'increase'.

Common Mistakes

We need to increased sales.
We need to increase sales.
'increased' is only the past and past participle form; use 'increase' after 'to' or with modal verbs like 'can', 'will', 'must'.

increased — adjective

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that has become larger, but they differ in typical use. 'Higher' is the most common choice for numbers, levels, and prices ('higher temperatures', 'higher scores') and sounds natural in everyday speech. 'Greater' is broader and works for abstract qualities as well as quantities ('greater risk', 'greater importance'), though it can feel slightly more formal. 'Elevated' carries a more technical or medical tone ('elevated blood pressure', 'elevated risk') and is rarely used in casual conversation about prices or sizes. 'Expanded' focuses on physical size, coverage, or scope rather than numerical amount ('expanded facilities', 'expanded programme'). For everyday uses such as prices, risks, or demands, 'higher' or 'greater' are the most natural alternatives.

highergreaterelevatedexpanded

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • significantly increased
  • dramatically increased
  • steadily increased
  • greatly increased
  • sharply increased

Phrases

  • increased level of
  • increased rate of
  • increased risk of
  • increased demand for

Prepositions

  • increased by
  • increased from ... to ...
  • increased in

Etymology

LatinAnglo-FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the Latin verb 'increscere', meaning 'to grow in or upon', formed from 'in-' (in, upon) and 'crescere' (to grow). The word entered English through Anglo-French 'encresc-' and Middle English 'encresen'. The past participle form 'increased' appeared in the 15th century and later gained independent use as an adjective.