English · Word Candidate

proliferation

/pɹəˌlɪf.əˈɹeɪ.ʃən/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: proliferations

Sense 1

Meaning · English

The process by which an organism produces others of its kind; breeding, propagation, procreation, reproduction.

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The act of increasing, rising, or proliferating; augmentation, amplification, enlargement, escalation, aggrandizement.

Noun

Examples

One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “proliferation” mean?

The process by which an organism produces others of its kind; breeding, propagation, procreation, reproduction.

Is “proliferation” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.