augmentées

Augmentées is the feminine plural form of the past participle augmenté, and also the feminine plural form of the adjective augmentée in French. It derives from the verb augmenter, meaning to increase or to augment. As an adjective, augmentées modifies feminine plural nouns to indicate that something has been increased or enhanced, for example: des valeurs augmentées (increased values), des capacités augmentées (enhanced capabilities). In this use, augmentées agrees in gender and number with the noun it describes.

As a past participle, augmentées appears in compound tenses and passive constructions. In the passive voice with être: Les valeurs ont été augmentées (The values have been increased). When used with avoir in a relative clause or similar construction, the participle may agree with a preceding direct object: Les quantités que nous avons augmentées montrent une hausse. Here, the object quantité is feminine plural and precedes the auxiliary, prompting agreement.

Etymology: augmenter derives from the Latin augēre, to increase, via the French augmenter. The form augmentées reflects standard gender and number inflection for the feminine plural form of the participle and of the adjective.

Usage notes: The form augmentées is common in mathematics, economics, science, and policy reports when referring to quantities, values, or capabilities that have been raised or improved. It is distinct from augmenté (masculine) and other gendered forms used with different nouns.

See also: augmenter, augmentation, accroître.