deceleration

[dee-sel-uh-rey-shuhn]

noun

1. the fact of losing speed, or the act of reducing the speed of something.

   Prolonged deceleration of the fetal heart rate is cause for concern.

2. the act or process of slowing the rate of increase of something.

   During that quarter, job creation stalled and stocks fell, confirming that there was a deceleration in the economy.

Other Word Forms

• nondeceleration noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of deceleration¹

deceler(ate) ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Example Sentences

One engine, the report said, was able to regain thrust - but could not reverse the plane's deceleration.

From BBC

It’s the kind of deceleration that an Angeleno like Glenn needs, and it also buys time for Rickey to figure out how to keep his lie going as long as he possibly can.

From Salon

The growth was a slight deceleration from the 3% annualized increase in the second quarter, but U.S. economic activity continued to far outpace almost every other developed nation.

From Los Angeles Times

A factor in the economic deceleration is the Supreme Court’s decision to declare as unconstitutional legislation that granted a 20-year concession to a huge copper mine.

From Seattle Times

“Mortgage rates have been stable for nearly two months, but with continued deceleration in inflation we expect rates to decline further,” said Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• decline 
• delay 
• downtrend 
• downturn 
• drop 
• drop-off 
• falloff 
• slackening www.thesaurus.com
• stagnation 
• strike 

When To Use

What does deceleration mean?

Deceleration describes a decrease in velocity, that is, momentum.Deceleration describes the slowing of an increase. Wind, for example, moves with a certain amount of momentum. When the wind’s momentum slows down, that is, the wind doesn’t blow as hard, we can say that the wind is experiencing deceleration.Example: The deceleration of the ship came abruptly to the passengers.