English Reference

Word

raising

Phoneticsrais·ing, stress on the first syllable

US/ˈɹeɪzɪŋ/

UK/ɹˈeɪzɪŋ/

Definitions

01lifting or increasing

A2 · Elementary

v. the action of moving something to a higher position or increasing a level.

v. the present participle of 'raise', denoting the act of elevating an object or increasing a quantity, level, or intensity.

“The workers are raising the heavy beams to the top of the new house.”

“By raising the interest rates, the central bank hopes to curb inflation and stabilise the national currency over the next fiscal quarter.”

Pitfall

The sun is raising in the east.

The sun is rising in the east.

Use 'raising' when someone lifts an object; use 'rising' when something moves up by itself.

Antonyms

02nurturing children or animals

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the process of looking after children or animals while they grow up.

n. the act of nurturing, breeding, or providing sustenance and protection for a living thing from birth to maturity.

“The raising of healthy children requires a lot of patience and support.”

“The successful raising of livestock in such an arid climate requires sophisticated irrigation and careful land management.”

03collecting money

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. the act of collecting or gathering money for a specific purpose.

n. the process of soliciting or accumulating capital, typically for a charity, business venture, or political campaign.

“The charity focused on the raising of funds for the new hospital wing.”

“The rapid raising of capital through private investors allowed the startup to expand its operations into international markets ahead of schedule.”

04linguistics: vowel change

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. a change in a language where a vowel sound is produced with the tongue higher in the mouth.

n. a phonological process or historical sound change in which a vowel becomes higher, involving a more elevated tongue position.

“The teacher explained how vowel raising changed the way people speak over centuries.”

“The Great Vowel Shift involved the raising of long vowels, fundamentally altering the phonetic landscape of Middle English.”

Antonyms

05linguistics: moving a word

C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical

n. moving a word from a small part of a sentence to the main part.

n. a syntactic operation where an element from a subordinate clause is moved into a higher position in the matrix clause.

“In the sentence 'He seems to be happy', raising moves the subject to the start.”

“Subject-to-subject raising is a common feature in English verbs like 'seem' and 'appear', where the embedded subject occupies the matrix subject position.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “raising” in context.

01. raising concerns 02. raising the possibility 03. raising children 04. raising questions 05. raising fears 06. raising prices

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English reysynge; equivalent to raise + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

VERB

raising(B1)

Domain

Linguistics

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Common
Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

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English Reference