proliferation

/prəlɪfərˈeɪʃɪn/

/prəlɪfəˈreɪʃən/

Other forms: proliferations

Proliferation is a rapid multiplication of parts or the increase in the number of something. Nuclear proliferation is a rapid increase of nuclear weapons.

The proliferation of any living thing will often create an overpopulation problem and cause an environmental imbalance. A proliferation of fuzzy koala bears might seem kind of nice, but these cute little creatures would soon eat up all the eucalyptus, running out of food and causing problems for other species. We almost always use this word to describe stuff we don't want to increase rapidly. The excessive proliferation of mutated cells, for instance, is how cancer grows.

Definitions of proliferation

1. noun

   a rapid increase in number (especially a rapid increase in the number of deadly weapons)
   “the proliferation of nuclear weapons”

   antonyms:

   nonproliferation

   the prevention of something increasing or spreading (especially the prevention of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons)

   non-proliferation

   the prevention of something increasing or spreading (especially the prevention of an increase in the number of countries possessing nuclear weapons)

   type of:

   growth, increase, increment

   a process of becoming larger or longer or more numerous or more important
2. noun

   growth by the rapid multiplication of parts
   type of:

   development, growing, growth, maturation, ontogenesis, ontogeny

   (biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level