BrE BrE//ˈdiːkriːs//; NAmE NAmE//ˈdiːkriːs//
[countable, uncountable] the process of reducing something or the amount that something is reduced by synonym reduction decrease (in something) There has been some decrease in military spending this year. decrease (of something) a decrease of nearly 6% in the number of visitors to the museum opposite increase More Like This Pronunciation changes by part of speech abuse, alternate, advocate, approximate, contract, converse, convict, decrease, delegate, discount, duplicate, estimate, export, extract, graduate, import, intimate, moderate, object, permit, present, protest, record, refund, refuse, subject, suspect, survey, torment, upgradeSee worksheet. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivedramatic, drastic, great, … verb + decreasedemonstrate, display, exhibit, … prepositionon the decrease, decrease from… to…, decrease in, … See full entry See related entries: Trends Word Originlate Middle English: from Old French decreis (noun), decreistre (verb), based on Latin decrescere, from de- ‘down’ + crescere ‘grow’.Extra examples Half the companies in the survey reported a decrease in sales. It is not uncommon to experience a decrease in confidence after a divorce. Marriage is still on the decrease. The new treatment led to a huge decrease in the number of deaths. There has been a sharp decrease in pollution since the law was introduced. This year’s figures show a decrease of 30% on last year. a decrease from 62% to just under half There has been a decrease of nearly 6% in the number of visitors to the museum.Check pronunciation: decrease
