noun
proliferation
pruh-lihf-uh-RAY-shuhn
noun
1
A rapid increase in the number or spread of something.
"The proliferation of smartphones changed how people access news."
"Officials worry about the proliferation of nuclear weapons among unstable states."
How to Use Proliferation
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fast, often unchecked, spread or increase in number.
Common pairings
nuclear proliferation
rapid proliferation
cell proliferation
Word Forms
proliferations plural
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Etymology
From French prolifération, ultimately related to Latin roots meaning "to bear offspring" — the biological sense of cells multiplying came first, then it broadened to any rapid spread.