decrease

de·crease

Use decrease in a sentence

Warm weather has caused a decrease in this snowmans size.

verb

To decrease is defined as to make something smaller or fewer or to become smaller or fewer.

When you lower the amount you give to charity, this is an example of a situation where you decrease your contribution.
When the snow begins to melt and these is less of it on the road, this is an example of a situation where the snow decreases.

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MLA Style

"decrease." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease>.

APA Style

decrease. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease

decrease

intransitive verb

transitive verb

-·creased′, -·creas′ing

to become or cause to become less, smaller, etc.; diminish

Origin of decrease

Middle English decresen from Old French decreistre from Classical Latin decrescere from de-, from, away + crescere, grow: see crescent

a decreasing; lessening; diminution
amount of decreasing

Origin of decrease

ME decres

decrease Idioms

on the decrease

decreasing

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MLA Style

"decrease." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease>.

APA Style

decrease. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease

decrease

intr. & tr.v.

de·creased, de·creas·ing, de·creas·es

To become or cause to become less or smaller, as in number, amount, or intensity.

noun

The act or process of decreasing.
The amount by which something decreases.

Origin of decrease

Middle English decresen from Old French decreistre decreiss- from Latin dēcrēscere dē- de- crēscere to grow ; see ker-² in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

de·creas′ing·ly
adverb

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"decrease." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease>.

APA Style

decrease. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease

decrease

decrease lessen reduce dwindle abate diminish subside

These verbs mean to become or cause to become smaller or less. Decrease and lessen refer to steady or gradual diminution: Lack of success decreases confidence. His appetite lessens as his illness progresses. Reduce emphasizes bringing down in size, degree, or intensity: The workers reduced their wage demands. Dwindle suggests decreasing bit by bit to a vanishing point: Their savings dwindled away. Abate stresses a decrease in amount or intensity and suggests a reduction of excess: Toward evening the fire began to abate. Diminish implies taking away or removal: The warden's authority diminished after the revolt. Subside implies a falling away to a more normal level: The wild enthusiasm aroused by the team's victory did not subside for days.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"decrease." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 14 February 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease>.

APA Style

decrease. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/DEcrease

Verb

(third-person singular simple present decreases, present participle decreasing, simple past and past participle decreased)

(intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.
To make (a quantity) smaller.

Noun

(plural decreases)

An amount by which a quantity is decreased.
(knitting) 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).

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