decline */*/*/

decline */*/*/
I UK [dɪˈklaɪn] / US verb
Word forms "decline":
present tense I/you/we/they decline he/she/it declines present participle declining past tense declined past participle declined
1) [intransitive] to become less or worse

The number of people buying their own homes has declined.

In many cases living standards are declining.

decline steadily/sharply/rapidly/dramatically:

Share prices declined sharply last week.

2) [intransitive/transitive] to say politely that you will not accept something or do something
decline an offer/invitation:

We asked her to the reception, but she declined the invitation.

They offered to fly him to Brussels, but he declined.

decline to do something:

The minister declined to comment on the rumours.

3)
a) [intransitive] linguistics if a noun, adjective, or pronoun declines, its form changes depending on its relationship to other words in a sentence
b) [transitive] to list all the forms of the declension of a noun, adjective, or pronoun

II UK [dɪˈklaɪn] / US noun [countable/uncountable]
Word forms "decline":
singular decline plural declines
a reduction in the amount or quality of something
decline in:

There has been a steady decline in public services over recent years.

a sharp/steep/dramatic decline:

a sharp decline in share prices

economic/moral decline:

an effort to halt the economic decline of the region

fall/go/slip into a decline:

The industry has now fallen into a decline.

in decline:

Agriculture is in decline in many Third World countries.

on the decline:

Thankfully, this is a disease that is now on the decline.


English dictionary. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Decline — De*cline , n. [F. d[ e]clin. See {Decline}, v. i.] 1. A falling off; a tendency to a worse state; diminution or decay; deterioration; also, the period when a thing is tending toward extinction or a less perfect state; as, the decline of life; the …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Decline — is a change over time from previously efficient to inefficient organizational functioning, from previously rational to non rational organizational and individual decision making, from previously law abiding to law violating organizational and… …   Wikipedia

  • Decline — De*cline , v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Declined}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Declining}.] [OE. declinen to bend down, lower, sink, decline (a noun), F. d[ e]cliner to decline, refuse, fr. L. declinare to turn aside, inflect (a part of speech), avoid; de + clinare …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Decline — De*cline , v. t. 1. To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall. [1913 Webster] In melancholy deep, with head declined. Thomson. [1913 Webster] And now fair Phoebus gan decline in haste His weary wagon to the western… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • decline — vb Decline, refuse, reject, repudiate, spurn are comparable when they mean to turn away something or someone by not consenting to accept, receive, or consider it or him. Decline is the most courteous of these terms and is used chiefly in respect… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • decline — [n1] lessening abatement, backsliding, comedown, cropper*, decay, decrepitude, degeneracy, degeneration, descent, deterioration, devolution, diminution, dissolution, dive, downfall, downgrade, downturn, drop, dwindling, ebb, ebbing, enfeeblement …   New thesaurus

  • decline — [dē klīn′, diklīn′] vi. declined, declining [ME declinen < OFr decliner, to bend, turn aside < L declinare, to bend from, inflect < de , from (see DE ) + clinare, to bend: see LEAN1] 1. to bend, turn, or slope downward or aside 2. a) …   English World dictionary

  • decline — I noun abatement, act of crumbling, act of dwindling, act of falling away, act of lessening, act of losing ground, act of shrinking, act of slipping back, act of wasting away, act of weakening, act of worsening, atrophy, backward step, cheapening …   Law dictionary

  • décliné — ⇒DÉCLINÉ, ÉE, part. passé et adj. I. Part. passé de décliner1. II. Adj. Qui s écarte d une direction donnée. A. [En parlant d un astre] Qui retombe après avoir atteint son point culminant. Les feux des soleils déclinés (RÉGNIER, Prem. poèmes,… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • décliné — décliné, ée (dé kli né, née) part. passé. 1°   Fléchi suivant les règles de la déclinaison. Un mot décliné. 2°   Terme de procédure. Dont on n accepte pas la compétence. Cette juridiction déclinée par les parties.    Par extension, refusé. Une… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • decline — ► VERB 1) become smaller, weaker, or less in quality or quantity. 2) politely refuse. 3) (especially of the sun) move downwards. 4) Grammar form (a noun, pronoun, or adjective) according to case, number, and gender. ► NOUN ▪ a gradual and… …   English terms dictionary

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