decreasing
Americanadjective
-
becoming less or fewer; diminishing.
-
Mathematics. (of a function) having the property that for any two points in the domain such that one is larger than the other, the image of the larger point is less than or equal to the image of the smaller point; nonincreasing.
Usage
What does decreasing mean? Decreasing is an adjective that means lessening or in decline—becoming less in number, amount, size, or in some other way.It comes from the continuous tense (-ing form) of the verb decrease, which means to lessen or become reduced in number, amount, size, or in some other way, as in Our profits will continue to decrease unless we cut costs.The word decreased can also be used as an adjective to describe things that have lessened or declined, as in a decreased appetite.Example: Decreasing sales have forced the company to cut costs.
Other Word Forms
- decreasingly adverb
- undecreasing adjective
- undecreasingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of decreasing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; decrease, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
REITs, just like individual homeowners, cheer lower rates for decreasing borrowing costs and pushing up real estate values.
From Barron's
The results showed that the turtles were most sensitive to sounds around 300 hertz, with hearing ability decreasing at higher frequencies.
From Science Daily
Warsh’s nomination reduced market uncertainty and strengthened the U.S. dollar, decreasing demand for precious metals and making them more expensive overseas.
From Barron's
“It’s especially extraordinary considering the number of sworn officers are decreasing.”
From Los Angeles Times
Because reserves were scarce, the Fed could influence the federal-funds rate simply by increasing or decreasing reserves.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
