decrease

An amount by which a quantity decreases or is decreased.

Noun

  1. An amount by which a quantity decreases or is decreased.
    • After six years of constant growth, the company reported a slight decrease in sales last year.
    • One research team has recorded Baishui’s decrease at about 27 meters per year over the last 10 years.
  2. A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).

Origin

From Middle English decresen, alteration of discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere.

Forms

decreases

Synonyms

cut decline decrement drop fall loss lowering reduction shrinkage

Antonyms

gain increase increment raise rise

Derived

decreaseless nondecrease

Verb

  1. Of a quantity, to become smaller.
    • The quality of our products has decreased since the main designer left.
  2. To make (a quantity) smaller.
    • Let's decrease the volume a little so we can hear each other talking.

Forms

decreases decreasing decreased

Synonyms

drop fall go down plummet plunge reduce shrink sink abate cut decrement lower decrease diminish wane slump lessen

Antonyms

go up grow increase rise soar shoot up increment raise up

Hypernyms

happen

Hyponyms

plummet plunge

Related

decrescendo decretion increase

Derived

decreasable decreasement decreaser decreasing function decreasingly decreasing term assurance monotonic decreasing nondecreasing non-decreasing redecrease undecreased undecreasing