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