Subscriber login


Forgot your password?

Library card login

Other

decrement

Syllabification: (dec·re·ment)
Pronunciation: /ˈdekrəmənt/
Definition of decrement

noun

  • a reduction or diminution:relaxation produces a decrement in sympathetic nervous activity
  • an amount by which something is reduced or diminished:the dose was reduced by 10 mg weekly decrements
  • Physics the ratio of the amplitudes in successive cycles of a damped oscillation.

verb

[with object] chiefly Computing
  • cause a discrete reduction in (a numerical quantity):the instruction decrements the accumulator by one

Origin:

early 17th century (as a noun): from Latin decrementum 'diminution', from the stem of decrescere 'to decrease'

decrement in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of decrement in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

  |  Cite
Oxford Dictionaries Pro

For Oxford's best resources for writers, plus thesaurus, audio, and 1.9m examples.

GET PRO ►

Shop for an Oxford dictionary
Find the perfect Oxford dictionary for you in our online shop.
SHOP NOW ►

Word of the day

monocular

/ məˈnɒkjʊlə /
adjective , noun
with, for, or in one eye …