Definition of 'decrease'

Word Frequency

decrease

Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular present tense decreases, present participle decreasing , past tense, past participle decreased pronunciation 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]

We've got stable labor, decreasing interest rates, low oil prices. [VERB-ing]

Synonyms: drop, decline, lessen, contract More Synonyms of decrease

2. countable noun

A decrease in 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

Video: pronunciation of
decrease

decrease in British English

verb (dɪˈkriːs )

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

noun (ˈdiːkriːs , dɪˈkriːs )

the act or process of diminishing; reduction

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

Word Frequency

decrease in American English

(diˈkris ; dɪˈkris ; also, & for n. usually, ˈdiˌkris )

verb intransitive, verb transitiveWord forms: deˈcreased or deˈcreasing

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

noun

a decreasing; lessening; diminution

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

These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content.Read more…

But it did find a six per cent decrease in available jobs last month compared with September.An increase in client numbers automatically decreases spend per head, as they take time to get into their stride.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.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.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).The results showed decreases both in clinical signs and in pain scores.The price is a slight decrease in the amount of blood pumped out of the heart.Tobacco smoke can decrease the number of negative ions in the air.Violence has also decreased due to rising expectations.We will be watching to ensure that the stillbirth numbers do show a significant decrease.