proliferation

noun

1. (uncountable)The process by which an organism produces others of its kind; breeding, propagation, procreation, reproduction.
2. (countable)The act of increasing, rising, or proliferating; augmentation, amplification, enlargement, escalation, aggrandizement.

   “One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.”

   “Internationally, the shipping container had already proven its worth, and by the early 1960s battles were being fought over what their standardised dimensions would be (their expected proliferation was not in question).”

3. (uncountable)The act of increasing, rising, or proliferating; augmentation, amplification, enlargement, escalation, aggrandizement.

   “... to combat proliferation by assisting them in gaining and assuring greater control over their dual-use equipment and technology. States that gain weapons of mass destruction are able to pose a significant military threat to the[…]”

   “[Efforts] to fight proliferation will require more than just new targets for collection; intelligence analysis will also have to change. In particular, to support policymakers looking for opportunities to disrupt, slow, or stop a[…]”

4. (countable)The result of building up; buildup, accretion.