auxesis
|aux-e-sis|
🇺🇸
/ɑkˈsiːsɪs/
🇬🇧
/ɔːkˈsiːsɪs/
increase / amplification
Etymology
'auxesis' originates from Ancient Greek, specifically the word 'αὔξησις (auxēsis)', where 'aux-' (from 'auxein') meant 'to increase'.
'auxēsis' passed into Latin as 'auxesis' and into New Latin; the form was later adopted into English with little change in form.
Initially it meant 'growth' or 'increase' in Ancient Greek; over time it retained the core sense of 'increase' but developed specialized uses in rhetoric (amplification/climax) as well as in biological contexts.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rhetorical device of increasing intensity or amplification; deliberate exaggeration or a rising sequence (climax) used for emphasis.
In his oration he used auxesis to move the audience from a minor complaint to a call for radical change.
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Noun 2
the process of growth or increase in size; enlargement (used in biological or technical contexts).
Researchers recorded rapid auxesis in the seedlings after adding the nutrient solution.
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Last updated: 2025/11/29 23:18