decrease

[v. dih-krees; n. dee-krees, dih-krees] /v. dɪˈkris; n. ˈdi kris, dɪˈkris/
verb (used without object), decreased, decreasing.
1.
to diminish or lessen in extent, quantity, strength, power, etc.:
During the ten-day march across the desert their supply of water decreased rapidly.
verb (used with object), decreased, decreasing.
2.
to make less; cause to diminish:
to decrease one's work load.
noun
3.
the act or process of decreasing; condition of being decreased; gradual reduction:
a decrease in sales; a decrease in intensity.
4.
the amount by which a thing is lessened:
The decrease in sales was almost 20 percent.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English decres (noun), decresen (v.) < Old French decreiss-, long stem of decreistre < Latin dēcrēscere (dē- de- + crēscere to grow); see crescent
Related forms
undecreased, adjective
Synonyms
1. wane, lessen, fall off, decline, contract, abate. Decrease, diminish, dwindle, shrink imply becoming smaller or less in amount. Decrease commonly implies a sustained reduction in stages, especially of bulk, size, volume, or quantity, often from some imperceptible cause or inherent process: The swelling decreased daily. Diminish usually implies the action of some external cause that keeps taking away: Disease caused the number of troops to diminish steadily. Dwindle implies an undesirable reduction by degrees, resulting in attenuation: His followers dwindled to a mere handful. Shrink especially implies contraction through an inherent property under specific conditions: Many fabrics shrink in hot water. 3. abatement, decline, subsidence, shrinking, dwindling, ebbing.
Antonyms
1. increase, expand.
Examples from the web for decrease
  • Specifically, check to see if a decrease in displayed bars corresponds with an actual drop in call quality.
  • More than one-third reported a decrease in fall applications.
  • The decrease in attacks could be due to fewer people in the water last year.
  • In fact, both are known to decrease during stepped-up activity, including exercise.
  • In principle, this decrease in energy can be compared with wood burning in a campfire.
  • If you really want to make it so that anybody can go into space, you have to increase the safety and decrease the cost.
  • We suggest that she decrease the size of her bottom margin.
  • Also unclear is whether surface wind speeds will continue to decrease in the coming decades.
  • The use of thorium can greatly decrease the use of uranium, but cannot eliminate it entirely.
  • As the likelihood of suspensions increases, students' chances of making it to college decrease.
British Dictionary definitions for decrease

decrease

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, adjective
decreasingly, adverb
Word Origin
C14: from Old French descreistre, from Latin dēcrescere to grow less, from de- + crescere to grow
Word Origin and History for decrease
v.

late 14c., from Anglo-French decreiss-, present participle stem of decreistre, Old French descroistre (12c., Modern French décroître), from Latin decrescere "to grow less, diminish," from de- "away from" (see de-) + crescere "to grow" (see crescent). Related: Decreased; decreasing.

n.

late 14c., "detriment, harm;" early 15c. as "a becoming less or smaller," from Anglo-French decres; see decrease (v.).