decrease meaning

Verb: decrease  di'krees

1. Decrease in size, extent, or range
   "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"
   - diminish, lessen, fall 
2. Make smaller
   "He decreased his staff"
   - lessen, minify

Noun: decrease  deekrees

1. A change downward
   "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"
   - lessening, drop-off 
2. A process of becoming smaller or shorter
   - decrement 
3. The amount by which something decreases
   - decrement 
4. The act of decreasing or reducing something
   - diminution, reduction, step-down

Derived forms: decreasing, decreases, decreased

Type of: alter, alteration, amount, change, change magnitude, change of magnitude, modification, modify, physical process, process

Antonym: increase

Encyclopedia: Decrease

[Business]
verb, noun

■ verb // [+ obj or no obj]

to become or make sth become smaller in size, number, etc:

Profits decreased by 9.4%, from €1.17 million to 1.05 million.

People's savings have decreased in value.

decreasing costs

Sales decreased 2.6%. See note at INCREASE

to decrease considerably/dramatically/sharply/significantly to decrease gradually/slightly/steadily to decrease in number/size/value

decreased adjective [only before noun]:

decreased productivity

■ noun // [C,U]

the process of reducing sth; the amount that sth is reduced by:

There has been a slight decrease in consumer spending this year.

a decrease of nearly 6% in the number of visitors

OPP INCREASE

a large/marked/sharp/slight decrease

◆ a price/revenue/sales/tax decrease

Examples

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1. sodium levels are either not altered significantly or slightly decreased.
2. the strengths decrease in order crocidolite chrysotile, amosite.
3. if more bentonite clay is used, the lead temperature must be decreased.
4. that part of loss directly ascribable to kinetics may decrease.
5. if the arterioles are contracted, the size of the vascular bed is decreased.