decreasing
Americanadjective
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becoming less or fewer; diminishing.
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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
Etymology
Origin of decreasing
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at 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.
According to Airas, this may indicate that inflammation is more noticeable during the earlier stages of the disease before gradually decreasing over time.
From Science Daily • May 28, 2026
With FAPD, the goal of treatment is decreasing the inflammation that causes irreversible scarring and, if possible, stimulating hair growth in follicles that haven’t been completely damaged.
From Slate • May 23, 2026
A significantly improved income outlook, alongside a decreasing desire to save and an increasing willingness to buy supported the consumer-confidence gauge, he said.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Waist circumference also dropped more sharply with semaglutide, decreasing by an average of −14.3 cm versus −6.0 cm with placebo.
From Science Daily • May 11, 2026
He was worried about the decreasing food supply.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
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.
