Look up escalation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Escalation is the process of increasing or rising, derived from the concept of an escalator. Specific uses of the term include:
- Cost escalation, an increase in the price of goods
- Conflict escalation, an increase in the intensity of a conflict
- Escalation hypothesis, a theory in evolutionary biology
- Escalation of commitment, an aspect of game theory
- Privilege escalation, a computer security process
- Technological escalation, a technological version of an arms race