Etymograph

English

increasingly

Increasingly comes from Middle English encreessingli.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500encreessingli1
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1954increasingly1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English increasingly
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1954, Frank Hewitt, The First Decade of British 4-6-0 Locomotives—1: “After the introduction of the Highland Railway class, the…”.

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500encreessingliWiktionary, English increasingly
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1954increasinglyWiktionary, English increasingly. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1954, Frank Hewitt, The First Decade of British 4-6-0 Locomotives—1: “After the introduction of the Highland Railway class, the…”

Formed from increasing + -ly

Every English word from Middle English encreessingli

Today it means

adv Increasing in amount or intensity.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “increasingly”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English encreessingli / increasingly

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