Meaning & use

proliferation

noun·Advanced

A rapid increase in the number or amount of something.

See it in a sentence

The proliferation of smartphones changed how people communicate every day.

Governments worked together to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

A note on using this word

Proliferation often carries a neutral-to-negative tone, describing rapid, sometimes uncontrolled growth, especially of something concerning.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

declinereduction

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