DECREASE Definition & Meaning

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decrease

[ verb dih-krees; noun dee-krees, dih-krees ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

decreased, decreasing.

to diminish or lessen in extent, quantity, strength, power, etc.:
During the ten-day march across the desert their supply of water decreased rapidly.
Synonyms: , , , ,
Antonyms: ,

verb (used with object)

decreased, decreasing.

to make less; cause to diminish:
to decrease one's work load.

noun

the act or process of decreasing; condition of being decreased; gradual reduction:
a decrease in sales;
a decrease in intensity.
Synonyms: , ,
the amount by which a thing is lessened:
The decrease in sales was almost 20 percent.

decrease

verb

to diminish or cause to diminish in size, number, strength, etc

noun

the act or process of diminishing; reduction
the amount by which something has been diminished

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Derived Forms

��ˈ��𲹲��Բ��, adverb
��ˈ��𲹲��Բ�, adjective

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Other �y��vlog Forms

�ܲ�d��·��𲹲�� adjective

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of decrease¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb decresen, from Old French decreiss-, long stem of decreistre, from Latin ��ŧ��ŧ�� “to diminish,” literally “to grow down,” equivalent to ��ŧ- de- + ��ŧ�� “to grow”); noun derivative of the verb; crescent

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of decrease¹

C14: from Old French descreistre, from Latin ��ŧ�� to grow less, from de- + crescere to grow

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Synonym Study

Decrease, diminish, dwindle, shrink imply becoming smaller or less in amount. Decrease commonly implies a sustained reduction in stages, especially of bulk, size, volume, or quantity, often from some imperceptible cause or inherent process: The swelling decreased daily. Diminish usually implies the action of some external cause that keeps taking away: Disease caused the number of troops to diminish steadily. Dwindle implies an undesirable reduction by degrees, resulting in attenuation: His followers dwindled to a mere handful. Shrink especially implies contraction through an inherent property under specific conditions: Many fabrics shrink in hot water.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

As air pressure in the chamber decreased, the air inside the teacakes expanded until the chocolate cracked and the mallow filling puffed out.

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The GGB message is disguised as female empowerment, she said, but it "decreases the value of a woman at the end of the day, because I think we're so much more than a wife."

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The lawsuit says the order would upend “processes that accommodate more voters, decrease obstacles, and increase voter participation.”

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Morley accused Oliver and “Last Week Tonight” of making him the “face” of the dramatic decrease in Medicaid care and increased cost-cutting.

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The massive deferral lowers the team’s luxury tax commitment and penalties in addition to simply decreasing payroll.

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Related �y��vlogs

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More About Decrease

What does decrease mean?

To decrease is to lessen or become reduced in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will continue to decrease unless we cut costs.

As a verb, decrease is also used in an active way in which someone or something is doing the decreasing, as in I’m going to decrease my hours at work or These sunglasses decrease glare. The word reduce is perhaps even more commonly used to mean the same thing.

Decrease can also be used as a noun referring to a reduction, as in We are experiencing a decrease in applicants.

It can also refer to the amount by which something has decreased, as in The decrease was $5,000 per year.

The words decreased and decreasing can both be used as adjectives, as in a decreased appetite or decreasing sales.

The opposite of decrease as both a verb and a noun is increase.

Example: Sally decided to decrease her workload, which led to a decrease in stress.

Where does decrease come from?

The first records of the word decrease come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin verb ��ŧ��ŧ��, from de-, which indicates negation, descent, or reversal, and the Latin verb ��ŧ��, meaning “to grow.”

Something that is decreasing is doing the opposite of growing—it’s becoming smaller in size, quantity, extent, or in some other way. As a noun, decrease indicates the opposite of growth.

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What are some other forms related to decrease?

decreased (past tense verb, adjective)
decreasing (continuous tense verb, adjective)

What are some synonyms for decrease?

What are some words that share a root or word element with decrease?��

increase

What are some words that often get used in discussing decrease?

How is decrease used in real life?

Decrease is an extremely common word that can be used in all kinds of contexts.

Showers have become confined mostly to the mountains and near the coast this evening. Showers will continue to decrease tonight with a mainly dry day on Wednesday.

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle)

Air pollution costs more than 100,000 American lives every year, with air quality at its worst during the summer. As we prioritize sustainable solutions and work to decrease our carbon footprint, here are some ways to reduce your exposure to dirty air. -L

— Lloyd H. Dean (@LloydHDean)

As long as it doesn't lead to a decrease in salary, this might be a good idea.

— Trent M Kays, PhD 🏳️‍🌈 (@trentmkays)

Try using decrease!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of decrease?

A. lessen
B. dwindle
C. enlarge
D. decline

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