Definition

1. Noun:
   • The process of increasing in physical size, quantity, or importance: "Growth" refers to the act or process of becoming larger, longer, more numerous, or more significant.
   • Something that has grown or is growing: "Growth" can refer to the result of this process, such as vegetation or a mass of tissue.
   • An abnormal mass of tissue, such as a tumor: In medical contexts, "growth" specifically denotes an abnormal proliferation of cells.
   • The process of developing from a simpler to a more complex form: "Growth" describes biological maturation or the evolution of abstract concepts like culture.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The rapid growth of the company surprised everyone. (The quick increase in the company's size and importance was surprising.)
  • There was a thick growth of ivy on the old wall. (A dense mass of ivy was growing on the wall.)
  • The doctor said the growth was benign. (The doctor said the abnormal tissue mass was not cancerous.)
  • Childhood is a period of tremendous physical and mental growth. (Childhood is a time of great biological and psychological development.)

Advanced Usage

• "Growth mindset": A belief that one's abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work.
  • Adopting a growth mindset can help you overcome challenges.
• "Growth spurt": A short period of very fast growth, especially in children and adolescents.
  • My son is eating everything in sight; he must be having a growth spurt.
• "Growth industry": A sector of the economy that is expanding faster than others.
  • Renewable energy is considered a major growth industry.

Variants and Related Words

• Grow (verb): To increase in size or develop.
  • Plants grow toward the light.
• Growing (adjective): Increasing in size, amount, or intensity.
  • There is a growing concern about climate change.
• Grown (adjective): Having reached maturity; fully developed.
  • A grown man should take responsibility for his actions.
• Overgrowth (noun): Excessive growth or proliferation.
  • The overgrowth of algae choked the pond.

Synonyms

• Increase: A rise in size, amount, or degree.
• Expansion: The action of becoming larger or more extensive.
• Development: The process of developing or being developed.
• Maturation: The process of becoming mature.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Grow into: To become large enough for (clothes) or to develop into a role.
  • He will grow into his brother's old jacket.
  • She is growing into her new position as manager.
• Grow out of: To become too large for (clothes) or to stop doing something as one matures.
  • He has grown out of his shoes.
  • She grew out of her shyness.
• Grow on: To become more liked or appealing over time.
  • This song is strange, but it's starting to grow on me.

Related Idioms

• Growth area: A subject or activity that is becoming increasingly popular or important.
  • Corporate training is a real growth area for our business.
• To choke off growth: To stop or severely limit development or expansion.
  • High interest rates can choke off economic growth.

Noun

1. something grown or growing
   • a growth of hair
2. (pathology) an abnormal proliferation of tissue (as in a tumor)
3. the gradual beginning or coming forth
   • figurines presage the emergence of sculpture in Greece
4. vegetation that has grown
   • a growth of trees
   • the only growth was some salt grass
5. a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important
   • the increase in unemployment
   • the growth of population
6. a progression from simpler to more complex forms
   • the growth of culture
7. (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
   • he proposed an indicator of osseous development in children