decremental

American  

[dek-ruh-men-tl] / ˌdɛk rəˈmɛn tl /

adjective

1. showing a gradual or serial decrease or reduction.

   The retina undergoes several decremental functional and structural changes with age.

2. being or relating to the amount lost by a gradual or serial reduction.

   The pressure on the brake is decreased by a decremental amount each time it is applied by the ABS.

3. Mathematics. being or relating to a negative increment.

   In an analogous way to the addition operation, we can also use an existing variable for the decremental value of a subtraction operation.

4. Physics. relating to the ratio of amplitudes of a damped harmonic motion in the course of two successive oscillations.

   The velocity of the decremental voltage wave in response to a stimulus is one of the quantities we can derive.

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Other Word Forms

• decrementally adverb

Etymology

Origin of decremental

First recorded in 1730–40; decrement ( def. ) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

Miller said Halliburton's margins have been resilient, with "decremental margins of only 22 percent for the quarter."

From Reuters

By and large, the changes are decremental.

From Time Magazine Archive