diminuito

Diminuito is an Italian term meaning decreased or diminished. It functions mainly as the past participle of diminuire, and as an adjective it describes something that has been reduced in amount, size, or intensity. In Italian, the participle agrees with the noun in gender and number (for example, il valore diminuito, i valori diminuiti; la popolazione è diminuita).

Etymology and related forms: The word derives from Latin diminuere, “to lessen,” and belongs to a family of terms built around diminution. Related Italian forms include diminuzione (the act or result of diminishing) and diminutivo (diminutive). In other Romance languages, cognates such as diminuto appear with related meanings. In English, diminuto is occasionally encountered in linguistic or typographic discussions but is not common.

Usage: Diminuito appears in technical, scientific, and everyday language to denote that something has been reduced. For example, “un numero diminuito” means a number that has been decreased; “i costi diminuiti” means the costs have been reduced. The form agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number: diminuito/diminuita, diminuiti/diminute.

Music: In musical notation, the standard marking for a gradual decrease in loudness is diminuendo (or decrescendo). The form diminuito is not a standard musical dynamic marking and, when encountered, is generally regarded as nonstandard or historical.

See also: diminuzione, diminutivo, diminutive.