English Explanatory Dictionary

decrease

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. Of a quantity, to become smaller.
  2. To make (a quantity) smaller.
noun
  1. An amount by which a quantity decreases or is decreased.
  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).

Pronunciation

En-us-decrease.ogg dĭkrēs' /dɪˈkɹiːs/ dē'krēs /ˈdiːkɹiːs/

Word forms

decrease decreases decreasing decreased

Etymology

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

Synonyms

fall go down plummet plunge reduce shrink sink cut decrement lower decrease diminish wane slump lessen drop abate decline loss lowering reduction shrinkage

Antonyms

go up grow increase rise soar shoot up increment raise up gain

Related words

decrescendo decretion increase

Derived words

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