zunehmender

Zunehmender is a German adjective formed from the verb zunehmen, meaning to increase or to grow. It describes something that is becoming larger in amount, degree, frequency, or intensity. The term is common in scientific writing, journalism, and policy discussions to characterize rising phenomena, such as population, temperatures, or demands.

Usage and examples:

Zunehmender is used attributively and is declined like other adjectives. Examples include ein zunehmender Trend, eine zunehmende Bevölkerung, and zunehmende Temperaturen. With definite articles the endings change correspondingly (der zunehmende Trend, des zunehmenden Trends). In adverbial or predicative contexts, the bare participle form zunehmen or the adverbial form zunehmend may appear, depending on construction.

Context and nuance:

Zunehmender conveys a neutral, descriptive tone. It is often paired with nouns referring to measurable increases or intensities, such as Anteil, Risiko, Verkehr, or Druck. It is commonly contrasted with abnehmend or sinkend to describe decreasing trends.

Relationship to related terms:

Zunahme (noun) denotes the increase itself, while zunehmen (verb) means to increase. Zunehmender is the attributive form used when describing a noun, and it follows standard German adjective declension patterns. Synonyms or close equivalents include steigend, wachsend, growing, and rising, though these may carry slightly different stylistic shades.

See also:

Zunahme; zunehmen; zunehmend (the adverbial or non-declined participle form used in other contexts).