What does decreasing mean?
"Decreasing" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "decrease", meaning to become smaller or fewer in size, amount, number, or degree. It describes a process that unfolds gradually rather than happening all at once: temperatures may be decreasing through the evening, a population may be decreasing over decades, or profits may be decreasing quarter by quarter. It also works as an adjective, especially in mathematical and statistical language — one speaks of a "decreasing function", "decreasing order", or a "decreasing trend" to indicate values that consistently fall as they progress. The word carries a neutral, measured register, making it a staple of formal writing in economics, science, and reporting, where precision matters more than drama; in casual speech, alternatives like "falling" or "dropping" are more common. Its opposite is "increasing". Derived from Latin roots meaning literally "to grow less", it neatly captures the idea of something shrinking away step by step, which is why it remains indispensable wherever change needs to be described accurately.
Becoming smaller or fewer in size, amount, number, or degree.
"The noise was slowly decreasing as the train pulled away."
Showing a consistent reduction in value or magnitude, especially in mathematical or statistical contexts.
"The graph displays a decreasing function across the entire interval."
In this use it typically appears attributively before a noun, as in 'decreasing order' or 'decreasing returns'.
The action or process of becoming smaller or fewer.
"The steady decreasing of rainfall worried the farmers."
The plain noun form 'decrease' is far more common than the gerund in this role.
Every time you hear 'decreasing', you're hearing an echo of the same Latin root that gave us 'crescent' — a moon that itself waxes and wanes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of decreasing
"Decreasing" derives from the Old French verb "decreistre", which came from Latin "decrescere", formed from the prefix "de-" (indicating reduction or reversal) plus "crescere" (to grow). The same Latin root "crescere" underlies English words such as "crescent", "concrete", and "accrue", all carrying some sense of growth or arising. The verb entered English during the Middle Ages and has been in continuous use since, its participial form "decreasing" serving both verbal and adjectival roles.
Related word forms
How decreasing is actually used
Neutral in tone and common in formal, technical, and statistical contexts such as reports, economics, and science. In everyday speech, words like 'falling' or 'dropping' are often preferred. When used attributively before a noun ('a decreasing trend'), it functions as an adjective derived from the verb.
Easily confused with decreasing
'Increasing' is the opposite process — growing larger in size, number, or degree rather than becoming smaller.