What does "growth" mean?

1. (physical development) the process of a person, animal, or plant getting bigger and older. 2. (increase in amount) an increase in the number, amount, or level of something. 3. (economic success) an increase in the value of goods and services produced by a country. 4. (personal improvement) the process of becoming more mature or confident as a person. 5. (something that has grown) a mass of something that has grown, like hair on a face or plants in a garden. 6. (medical tumor) an abnormal mass of cells growing in or on the body.

growth

US //ˈɡɹoʊθ// UK //ɡɹˈəʊθ// growth

1 physical development (n.)
B1 Intermediate Science

the process of a person, animal, or plant getting bigger and older.

the process of increasing in physical size or maturing toward adulthood.

Example

The doctor checked the child's growth to make sure she was healthy.

Example

Hormonal imbalances during adolescence can significantly disrupt the normal patterns of physical growth and bone density development.
- development
- maturation
- decline
- atrophy
2 increase in amount (n.)
B1 Intermediate

an increase in the number, amount, or level of something.

a quantitative increase in size, number, value, or intensity.

Example

The city has seen a rapid growth in population over the last ten years.

Example

The unexpected growth in consumer demand caught the manufacturers off guard, leading to widespread shortages across the retail sector.

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3 economic success (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Academic Economics

an increase in the value of goods and services produced by a country.

an increase in the capacity of an economy to produce goods and services, compared from one period of time to another.

Example

The government is trying to encourage economic growth by lowering taxes.

Example

Economists argue that sustainable growth cannot be achieved without significant investment in green energy infrastructure and education.
- prosperity
- expansion
- recession
- stagnation
4 personal improvement (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the process of becoming more mature or confident as a person.

the development of psychological or emotional resilience and maturity.

Example

Living in a foreign country led to a lot of personal growth for him.

Example

The challenges she faced during her first year as a manager provided a steep learning curve and immense professional growth.
- self improvement
- advancement
- regression
5 something that has grown (n.)
C1 Advanced Literary

a mass of something that has grown, like hair on a face or plants in a garden.

something that has grown or is currently growing, often referring to a thicket of plants or facial hair.

Example

He returned from the camping trip with a thick growth of beard.

Example

A dense growth of ivy covered the ancient stone walls, hiding the windows from view.
6 medical tumor (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Technical Medicine

an abnormal mass of cells growing in or on the body.

a discrete mass of abnormal tissue, such as a tumor or cyst.

Example

The surgeon removed a small growth from the patient's shoulder.

Example

Biopsy results confirmed that the growth was benign, though the patient was advised to monitor the area for any further changes.

Origin

From grow + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Compare Old Frisian grēd ("meadow, pasture"; > North Frisian greyde (“growth, pasture”)), Middle High German gruote, gruot (“greens, fresh growth, shoot”), Old Norse gróðr ("growth, crop"; > Faroese grøði, Danish grøde (“fruits”), Swedish gröda (“crop, harvest”)). More at grow.