different between decrease vs diminution

English

Etymology

From Middle English decresen, discresen, from Anglo-Norman, Old French descreistre (French: décroître), from Latin decrescere.

Pronunciation

• (verb) enPR: d?kr?s', IPA^(key): /d??k?i?s/
• (noun) enPR: d?'kr?s, IPA^(key): /?di?k?i?s/
• Rhymes: -i?s

Verb

decrease (third-person singular simple present decreases, present participle decreasing, simple past and past participle decreased)

1. (intransitive) Of a quantity, to become smaller.

2. (transitive) To make (a quantity) smaller.

Synonyms

• (become smaller): drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink; See also Thesaurus:decrease
• (make smaller): abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce; See also Thesaurus:diminish

Antonyms

• (become larger): go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly); See also Thesaurus:increase
• (make larger): increase, increment, raise, up (informal); See also Thesaurus:augment

Related terms

• decretion
• increase

Translations

Noun

decrease (countable and uncountable, plural decreases)

1. An amount by which a quantity is decreased.

2. (knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See Decrease (knitting).

Synonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): cut, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage

Antonyms

• (amount by which a quantity is decreased): gain, increase, increment, raise (US, of pay), rise

Translations

Anagrams

• deceaser

English

Etymology

From Middle English diminucioun, from Anglo-Norman diminuciun, Old French diminucion, from Latin d?min?ti?.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /d?m??nju??(?)n/

Noun

diminution (countable and uncountable, plural diminutions)

1. A lessening, decrease or reduction.

   The new emission standards have produced a measurable diminution in air pollution.
2. The act or process of making diminutive.
3. (music) a compositional technique where the composer shortens the melody by shortening its note values.

Synonyms

• (lessening, decrease): diminishment

Related terms

• diminish
• diminished
• diminuendo

Translations

French

Etymology

From Old French diminucion, from Latin d?min?ti?.

Pronunciation

Noun

diminution f (plural diminutions)

1. diminution, abatement

Interlingua

Noun

diminution (plural diminutiones)

1. decrease

Related terms

• diminuer