Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, regular increase in amount or value: An increment is a fixed, often small, amount added to something, such as a salary or a numerical value, at regular intervals.
   • The act or process of increasing: The process of becoming larger, greater, or more numerous.
   • (Mathematics, Computing) A small positive or negative change in the value of a variable: The amount by which a variable's value is changed.

Usage and Examples

• Noun (Regular Increase):

  • Employees receive an annual salary increment of 3%. (This means their salary goes up by 3% each year.)
  • The meter measures the water level in one-centimeter increments. (This means it measures every additional centimeter of water.)

• Noun (Process of Increasing):

  • The steady increment of knowledge is the goal of education. (This refers to the gradual accumulation of knowledge.)

• Noun (Mathematics/Computing):

  • In programming, you often use i++ to add an increment of 1 to a variable i.
  • Calculate the increment of the function when x changes from 2 to 2.1.

Advanced Usage

• "Incremental" (Adjective): Describing something that happens in a series of small, regular stages.

  • We made incremental improvements to the software. (This means improvements were made in small, steady steps.)

• "Incrementally" (Adverb): In a way that involves small, regular increases or stages.

  • The budget was increased incrementally over five years.

Variants and Related Words

• Incremental (adj): Happening or increasing in small, regular amounts.

  • incremental change, incremental growth

• Incrementation (n): The process of incrementing, especially in computing.

  • The incrementation of the counter is automatic.

Synonyms

• Increase: A general term for becoming greater in size, amount, or degree.
• Addition: Something that is added.
• Gain: An increase in wealth, resources, or amount.
• Augmentation: The action or process of making or becoming greater.

Antonyms

• Decrement: An amount by which something decreases or is reduced.
• Reduction: The action of making something smaller or less in amount.
• Decrease: An instance of becoming smaller or fewer.

Related Phrases and Technical Usage

• Increment and decrement operators (Computing): Symbols (like and ) used to increase or decrease a variable's value by one.
• Unearned increment (Economics): An increase in the value of land or property not due to any effort by the owner.
• Salary increment: A regular, often annual, increase in an employee's pay.

Noun

1. the amount by which something increases
   • they proposed an increase of 15 percent in the fare
2. a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important
   • the increase in unemployment
   • the growth of population