Decrescere

Decrescere is an Italian verb meaning to decrease, diminish, or reduce in size, quantity, intensity, or frequency. It is used to describe changes that move downward over time, such as prices falling, temperatures dropping, populations shrinking, or the strength of a signal waning. The term can also appear in mathematical or scientific contexts to indicate a downward trend.

Etymology and related forms: Decrescere comes from Latin decrescere, formed from de- “down, away” and crescere “to grow.” The related adjective decrescente means decreasing, while the noun decrescita or decrescenza refers to the act or result of decreasing. In mathematics and sciences, the predicate “funzione decrescente” describes a decreasing function or sequence.

Usage and grammar: In Italian, decrescere is primarily intransitive and often used with di to specify the amount by which something decreases (decrescere di X). It can appear with auxiliary essere in compound tenses, for example: Le vendite sono decresciute quest’anno. It denotes a qualitative or quantitative downward change and can be contrasted with crescere, which denotes growth.

Examples: Le vendite sono decresciute del 12% quest’anno. La temperatura è decrescita di tre gradi nell’ultima settimana. In everyday speech, synonyms such as diminuire or ridursi are more common in casual contexts.

See also: diminuire, ridurre, crescere, decrescita, decrescente, decrescenza.