growth

1 an abnormal mass of tissue <found a growth on the dog's neck under her collar> Synonyms excrescence, excrescency, lump, neoplasm, tumor Related Words outgrowth; cancer, carcinoma, lymphoma, malignancy, melanoma, polyp; cyst, tubercle, wart

2 the act or process of going from the simple or basic to the complex or advanced <the growth of the gambling industry into an economic mainstay in some locations> Synonyms elaboration, evolution, expansion, development, progress, progressionRelated Words advancement, betterment, improvement, perfection, refinement; incubation, maturation, maturing, ripening; blossoming, flourishing, flowering; addition, augmentation, enhancement, supplementation; emergence, evolvement, metamorphosisNear Antonyms backslide, lapse, relapse; decadence, decay, decaying, declension, declination, decline, degeneracy, degeneration, degradation, descent, deterioration, devaluation, downfall, downgrade, ebbing, falling, weakeningAntonyms regress, regression, retrogression, reversion

3 the process of becoming mature <her reflections and mature behavior certainly demonstrate just how much emotional growth took place last summer> Synonyms development, maturation, maturing, ripeningRelated Words blossoming, flourishing, flowering; mellowing, softening; evolution, evolvement, expansion, progression; coming-of-age, maturityNear Antonyms decadence, decay, decaying, declension, decline, declining, degeneration, descent, deterioration; ebbing, fading, shriveling (or shrivelling), waning, wilting, withering; death, decease, demise, dying, end, exit, expiration, expiring, expiry, perishing; regression, retrogression, reversion