Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense decreases, present participle decreasing, past tense, past participle decreasedpronunciation note: The verb is pronounced (dɪkriːs). The noun is pronounced (diːkriːs).
1. verb
When something decreases or when you decrease it, it becomes less in quantity, size, or intensity.
Population growth is decreasing by 1.4% each year. [VERB + by]
The number of independent firms decreased from 198 to 96. [VERB + from/to]
Raw-steel production by the nation's mills decreased 2.1% last week. [VERB amount]
Since 1945 air forces have decreased in size. [VERB + in]
Gradually decrease the amount of vitamin C you are taking. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: drop, decline, lessen, contract More Synonyms of decrease
2. countable noun
A decreasein the quantity, size, or intensity of something is a reduction in it.
...a decrease in the number of young people out of work. [+ in]
Bank base rates have fallen from 10 per cent to 6 per cent–a decrease of 40 per cent. [+ of]
Synonyms: lessening, decline, reduction, loss More Synonyms of decrease
More Synonyms of decrease
decrease in British English
verb (dɪˈkriːs)
1.
to diminish or cause to diminish in size, number, strength, etc
noun (ˈdiːkriːs, dɪˈkriːs)
2.
the act or process of diminishing; reduction
3.
the amount by which something has been diminished
Derived forms
decreasing (deˈcreasing)
adjective
decreasingly (deˈcreasingly)
adverb
Word origin
C14: from Old French descreistre, from Latin dēcrescere to grow less, from de- + crescere to grow
decrease in American English
(diˈkris; dɪˈkris; also, & for n. usually, ˈdiˌkris)
verb intransitive, verb transitiveWord forms: deˈcreased or deˈcreasing
1.
to become or cause to become less, smaller, etc.; diminish
noun
2.
a decreasing; lessening; diminution
3.
amount of decreasing
Idioms:
on the decrease
SYNONYMY NOTE: decrease, dwindle suggest a growing gradually smaller in bulk, size, volume, or number, but , dwindle emphasizes a wasting away to the point of disappearance [his hopes decreased as his fortune dwindled away to nothing]; lessen is equivalent to , decrease, except that it does not imply any particular rate of decline [his influence lessened overnight]; diminish emphasizes subtraction from the whole by some external agent [disease had diminished their ranks]; reduce implies a lowering, or bringing down [to reduce prices]
OPPOSITE: increase
Derived forms
decreasingly
adverb
Word origin
ME decresen < OFr decreistre < L decrescere < de-, from, away + crescere, grow: see crescent
Examples of 'decrease' in a sentence
decrease
But it did find a six per cent decrease in available jobs last month compared with September.
The Sun (2016)
An increase in client numbers automatically decreases spend per head, as they take time to get into their stride.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The boost came despite a four per cent decrease over the previous month driven by a seasonal dip following the festive season, says the report.
Computing (2010)
Since 2010 the proportion of schools reporting a head teacher vacancy has decreased and the number of school leaders over the age of 50 has decreased significantly.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They could also help to decrease the risk of certain cancers and eye disease (by absorbing some of the damaging blue light that enters the eye naturally).
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The results showed decreases both in clinical signs and in pain scores.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The price is a slight decrease in the amount of blood pumped out of the heart.
Pantano, James A. (MD) Living with Angina (1991)
Tobacco smoke can decrease the number of negative ions in the air.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley Stay Well This Winter (1989)
Violence has also decreased due to rising expectations.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We will be watching to ensure that the stillbirth numbers do show a significant decrease.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The effect of the price increase is to decrease the size of your feasible set.
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
There are numerous other examples of such physical problems that can cause decreasing returns to scale.
Miller, Roger LeRoy & Fishe, Raymond P. H. Microeconomics: Price Theory in Practice (1995)
Both animals and man consistently show decreased appetite with small increases in physical activity.
Holford, Patrick The Family Nutrition Workbook (1988)
Prices decrease as the amount required increases.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Trading through charity shops or social enterprise is also likely to decrease.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He said that he felt a significant decrease in pain.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
One explanation for the worsening gender imbalance may be decreasing family size.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
It is also clear that the rural areas have seen a profound decrease in the availability of agricultural employment.
Ogden, Philip E & White, Paul E (eds.) Migrants in Modern France: Population Mobility in the Later Nineteenth and TwentiethCenturies (1989)
High housing costs have also led to a decrease in the number of younger people being able to afford to live alone.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
This gradually decreases to 2% if you leave it in until the fifth year.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The effect of a 10 per cent ozone decrease there could be dramatic.
Radford, Tim & Leggett, Jeremy The Crisis of Life on Earth - our legacy from the second millenium (1990)
But the effort is rewarded both in the increased quality of relationships we enjoy and in the decreased quantity of conflict we endure.
Christianity Today (2000)
August compared with a decrease of 8.5% nationally.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
It has been linked to a 32 per cent decrease in the chance of being obese.
The Sun (2015)
It's very probable we will see a decrease in population.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Alcohol can cause a decrease of co-ordination and alertness.
Martlew, Gillian & Silver, Shelley (ed) The Medicine Chest - your family's guide to prescription drugs (1988)
As time goes on the time between the peaks and their intensity decreases, until they stop being a problem.
Wallace, Louise M & Bundy, Christine Coping with Angina (1990)
We have to crank up growth because that decreases the financial gaps,' he added.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
In other languages
decrease
British English: decrease /ˈdiːkriːs/ NOUN
A decrease is a reduction in the quantity or size of something.
...a decrease in the number of people without jobs.
American English: decrease
Arabic: تَنَاقُص
Brazilian Portuguese: decréscimo
Chinese: 减少
Croatian: smanjenje
Czech: snížení
Danish: nedgang
Dutch: afname
European Spanish: disminución
Finnish: lasku alenema
French: diminution
German: Rückgang
Greek: μείωση
Italian: calo
Japanese: 減少
Korean: 감소
Norwegian: nedgang
Polish: zmniejszenie
European Portuguese: decréscimo
Romanian: scădere
Russian: уменьшение
Latin American Spanish: disminución
Swedish: minskning
Thai: การลดลง
Turkish: azalma
Ukrainian: зниження
Vietnamese: sự giảm đi
British English: decrease /dɪˈkriːs/ VERB
When something decreases, or when you decrease it, it becomes less in quantity, size, or intensity.
Population growth is decreasing by 1.4% each year.
Gradually decrease the amount of vitamin C you are taking.
American English: decrease
Arabic: يَتَنَاقَصُ
Brazilian Portuguese: diminuir
Chinese: 减少
Croatian: smanjiti
Czech: snížit
Danish: aftage
Dutch: afnemen
European Spanish: disminuir
Finnish: vähentyä
French: diminuer
German: vermindern (sich)
Greek: μειώνω
Italian: calare
Japanese: 減少する
Korean: 감소하다
Norwegian: minske
Polish: zmniejszyć
European Portuguese: diminuir
Romanian: a scădea
Russian: уменьшать
Latin American Spanish: disminuir
Swedish: minska
Thai: ลดลง
Turkish: azalmak
Ukrainian: зменшуватися
Vietnamese: giảm bớt
Chinese translation of 'decrease'
decrease
(nˈdiːkriːs; vbdiːˈkriːs)
n(c)
(= reduction, drop)
decrease (in sth)(某物的)减(減)少 ((mǒuwù de) jiǎnshǎo)
vt, vi
减(減)少 (jiǎnshǎo)
to be on the decrease正在减(減)少 (zhèng zài jiǎnshǎo)
1 (verb)
Definition
to make or become less in size, strength, or quantity
Population growth is decreasing each year.
Synonyms
drop
Temperatures can drop to freezing at night.
decline
a declining birth rate
lessen
The burden will lessen if you ask someone for help.
contract
Output fell last year and is expected to contract further this year.
lower
They lowered the boat into the water.
ease
The heavy snow had eased a little.
shrink
The vast forests have shrunk.
diminish
The threat of war has diminished.
fall off
Unemployment is rising again and retail buying has fallen off.
dwindle
The factory's workforce has dwindled.
wane
His interest in art to wane.
subside
The pain had subsided during the night.
abate
The storms soon abated.
peter out
The strike seemed to be petering out.
slacken
Inflationary pressures continued to slacken last month.
2 (verb)
Definition
to make or become less in size, strength, or quantity
The medication is said to decrease the risk of heart attack.
Synonyms
reduce
Consumption is being reduced by 25 per cent.
cut
The first priority is to cut costs.
lower
The new measures will lower the risk.
contract
As we move our bodies, our muscles contract and relax.
depress
The stronger currency depressed sales.
moderate
They are hoping that she will be persuaded to moderate her views.
weaken
Her opponents believe that her authority has been fatally weakened.
diminish
Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state.
turn down
slow down
cut down
shorten
The day surgery will help to shorten waiting lists.
dilute
It was a clear attempt to dilute the power of the protest.
impair
The bright sunshine was impairing my vision.
lessen
Keep immunisations up to date to lessen the risk of serious illness.
curtail
NATO plans to curtail the number of troops being sent to the region.
The celebrations had to be curtailed because of bad weather.
wind down
The storm was winding down at long last.
abate
a government programme to abate greenhouse gas emissions
tone down
truncate
I'm going to truncate the time I spend at work.
abridge
We don't abridge any of the stories we publish.
downsize
Opposites
extend
,
enlarge
, increase,
expand
(noun)
Definition
a lessening
There has been a decrease in the number of young unemployed people.
Synonyms
lessening
a lessening of tension on the border
decline
The first signs of economic decline became visible.
reduction
a future reduction in interest rates
loss
falling off
downturn
dwindling
contraction
`It's' is a contraction of `it is'.
ebb
the ebb of her creative powers
cutback
A 200-person cutback in staff was announced.
subsidence
curtailment
He supports the curtailment of military spending.
shrinkage
diminution
The president has accepted a diminution of his original powers.
abatement
noise abatement
Opposites
growth
,
expansion
,
extension
Additional synonyms
in the sense of abate
Definition
to make or become less strong
The storms soon abated.
Synonyms
decrease,
decline,
relax,
ease,
sink,
fade,
weaken,
diminish,
dwindle,
lessen,
slow,
wane,
subside,
ebb,
let up,
slacken,
attenuate,
taper off
in the sense of abate
Definition
to make or become less strong
a government programme to abate greenhouse gas emissions