増ぞう殖しょく

ぞ

う

しょ

く

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

増殖する · noun or participle which takes 'suru'

Meanings

Used for growth in number, especially of organisms, cells, or assets. Can be transitive or intransitive.

〈物もの〉が増ぞう殖しょくするfor something (cells, bacteria, etc.) to multiply or proliferate
がん細さい胞ぼうが体たい内ないで急きゅう速そくに増ぞう殖しょくする。
Cancer cells proliferate rapidly inside the body.
〈物もの〉を増ぞう殖しょくさせるto make something multiply or propagate
研けん究きゅう者しゃは培ばい養よう液えきの中なかで細さい菌きんを増ぞう殖しょくさせた。
The researcher had the bacteria multiply in the culture solution.
資し産さんを増ぞう殖しょくするto increase one's assets (through investment, etc.)
彼かれは投とう資しで資し産さんを増ぞう殖しょくした。
He grew his assets through investment.

増殖 can be used both transitively and intransitively: 細菌が増殖する (bacteria multiply, intransitive) versus 資金を増殖する (to increase one's funds, transitive).

増ぞう加かN3
増加 is a general term for any increase in number or amount, while 増殖 specifically implies multiplication or propagation, often of living things or self-replicating assets.
繁はん殖しょくN2
繁殖 refers specifically to the breeding or reproduction of animals and plants, whereas 増殖 also covers non-living increases such as cell division or the growth of wealth.

減げん少しょうN2
減少 means a decrease in number, the direct opposite of 増殖's meaning of multiplying or proliferating.

Compound of 増 (increase) and 殖 (multiply/propagate). The kanji 殖 originally relates to growth and increase, often in a biological sense.