growth

Compared meaning: a process of growing or developing (noun).

比较义项：生长或发展的过程（名词）。

• growth 本词

  Growth stresses a quantitative increase in size, number, or amount; it fits measurable expansion (population, sales, cells) rather than a staged process of change.

  growth 强调数量、体积或数量上的增加，用于人口、销售额、细胞等可衡量的扩张，而不是分阶段的变化过程。

  Bacteria growth doubled every twenty minutes in the warm, moist environment.

  在温暖潮湿的环境中，细菌的生长每二十分钟就翻一倍。

• development

  Development stresses a staged process of change, progress, or improvement, often making something more advanced rather than simply bigger, as in the fixed phrase 'research and development'.

  development 强调随阶段推进的变化、进步或改善过程，往往是使事物变得更先进，而不仅仅是变大，常见于“research and development”这类固定搭配中。

  The new drug went through years of research and development before approval.

  这种新药在获得批准之前，经历了多年的研究与开发。

Both mean 'a process of change'. Growth stresses an increase in size or amount, fitting things like population or sales. Development stresses a staged process of change, as in 'research and development'. Not covered: growth as 'a tumor', development as 'a housing area' or 'news'.

growth 和 development 在“生长或发展的过程”这一意义上很接近，但 growth 强调数量或体积上的增加，development 强调分阶段的变化或进步过程。这里不比较 growth 表示“肿块、增生物”的意思，也不比较 development 表示“住宅区”或“新情况、新进展”的意思。

Compared meaning: a rise in amount or level (noun).

比较义项：增长／增加（数量、程度的上升）（名词）。

• growth 本词

  Growth suggests a gradual, ongoing process of becoming larger, typically used for long-term development such as economies, populations, or businesses, rather than a one-off numerical change.

  growth 强调持续、渐进的发展过程，常用于经济、人口、企业等长期增长的语境，而不是用来描述一次性的具体数字变化。

  The country's economic growth has slowed in recent years.

  近年来，该国的经济增长有所放缓。

• increase

  Increase is a neutral, general word for any rise in amount, number, or level, whether sudden or gradual, and is the natural choice for prices, statistics, or counts.

  increase 是中性、通用的词，指数量、数字或程度的任何上升，无论是突然还是渐进的，常用于价格、统计数字等具体数量。

  There was a sharp increase in the price of oil last month.

  上个月石油价格出现了大幅上涨。

Both mean 'a rise in amount'. Growth suggests a gradual process of becoming larger, used for things like economies or populations. Increase is a neutral word for any rise, sudden or slow, for prices. Not covered: growth meaning 'a tumor', increase used as a verb.

这两个词都可表示数量或程度的上升，容易被中国学习者混淆，但语气和适用范围不同：growth 强调持续、有机的发展过程，increase 是中性、通用的说法，变化可大可小、可突然也可渐进。这里不比较 growth 表示肿瘤的义项，也不比较 increase 作动词表示增加的用法。