increased by about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "increased by about" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a change in quantity or value that is approximate rather than exact. Example: "The population of the city increased by about 10,000 people over the last year."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

Comparing with traditional mechanical flotation machine, the Li2O concentrate grade from the modified Jameson Cell increased by about 0.6% and the recovery increased by about 15%.

Powder Technology

For 3D-M/S, the matrix switching and signal transformation increased by about 11% complexity.

EURASIP Journal on Audio, Speech, and Music Processing

CCL21 protein expression was significantly increased by about 1.7-fold.

BMC Genomics

Expression levels of APP F690P were increased by about 36%% compared with WT-APP (Fig.  6h).

Acta Neuropathologica

The normalised poverty gap increased by about 1.4% representing about 21% relative increment.

BMC Health Services Research

As consequence of introducing the ldh deletion, 1,2-propanediol production increased by about 38%%.

Biotechnology for Biofuels

The biomass was increased by about 14% when validamine was added within 24 h after inoculation.

BioMed Research International

Average ticket prices increased by about 30 cents, to $7.18.

The New York Times

Foreign direct investment has increased by about 50% since 2005.

The Economist

Overall, it increased by about 2% over the study period.

The Economist

Since 2006, money supply has increased by about $2 trillion.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "increased by about", ensure that the context clearly indicates what is being measured and the units involved for better clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "increased by about" when precise figures are available. Using an approximation when the exact value is known undermines credibility.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "increased by about" functions as a verb phrase indicating an approximate change or growth. Ludwig AI's examples show its use in quantifying increases in various contexts, from prices to production levels, typically followed by a percentage or a numerical value.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

46%

Formal & Business

4%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "increased by about" is a common and grammatically correct way to describe an approximate increase, as confirmed by Ludwig AI. It's frequently used in both scientific and news contexts to convey general growth trends without needing precise figures. When employing this phrase, ensure that the context clearly specifies the units being measured to avoid ambiguity. Remember to avoid using approximations when exact values are accessible, as this can undermine credibility. Consider using alternatives like "rose approximately by" or "grew roughly by" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

rose approximately by

Replaces "increased" with "rose" and "about" with "approximately", maintaining a similar meaning but with slightly more formal tone.

grew roughly by

Substitutes "increased" with "grew" and "about" with "roughly", providing a more casual alternative.

expanded by around

Replaces "increased" with "expanded" and "about" with "around", offering a synonym with a sense of broadening.

escalated by nearly

Uses "escalated" instead of "increased" and "nearly" in place of "about", suggesting a more rapid or significant rise.

climbed by more or less

Replaces "increased" with "climbed" and "about" with "more or less", conveying a sense of upward movement with a degree of approximation.

appreciated by close to

Uses "appreciated" instead of "increased" suggesting an increase in value and "close to" in place of "about" for approximation.

surged by in the neighborhood of

Replaces "increased" with "surged", indicating a sudden and strong increase and uses the longer phrase "in the neighborhood of" for "about".

advanced by something like

Substitutes "increased" with "advanced" and "about" with "something like", providing a less direct way of expressing the approximate increase.

jumped by in the vicinity of

Replaces "increased" with "jumped" and "about" with "in the vicinity of", indicating a quick increase and a degree of approximation.

inflated by in the order of

Uses "inflated" instead of "increased" and "in the order of" for "about", conveying a sense of increase in size or quantity.

FAQs

How can I use "increased by about" in a sentence?

You can use "increased by about" to describe an approximate increase in a quantity or value. For example, "The price of gasoline "increased by about" 10% this month".

What are some alternatives to using "increased by about"?

You can use alternatives such as "rose approximately by", "grew roughly by", or "expanded by around" depending on the specific context.

Is it better to say "increased by approximately" or "increased by about"?

Both "increased by approximately" and "increased by about" are correct. "Increased by approximately" is slightly more formal, while "increased by about" is more common in everyday language. Choose the one that best fits the tone of your writing.

What's the difference between "increased by about" and "increased by almost"?

"Increased by about" indicates a rough estimate, while "increased by almost" suggests that the actual increase was slightly less than the stated amount. For instance, "increased by almost 10%" implies the increase was a bit under 10%.