• DECREASE

1. TRANS., minuere (to make less in number, magnitude, weight, and importance; opposed to augere, e.g., vectigalia; alicujus gloriam; molestias; potentiam et auctoritatem senatus): imminuere (also opposed to augere, e.g., the number of the Senate, numerum patrum; troops, copias; anybody’s renown, alicujus laudem): deminuere aliquid or de aliqua re (to make less by taking away from anything, e.g., vectigalia; vires; aliquid de potestate): extenuare (to decrease by abating; e.g., sumptus; molestias; spem): levare; sublevare (to decrease by making lighter; e.g. pretium, annonam; inopiam; pericula): elevare (to decrease, both in a good sense and in a bad; e.g., aegritudinem; sollicitudinem; auctoritatem; fidem alicujus rei): lenire (to decrease by lessening the sensation of anything; e.g., dolores; febrem quiete; morbum temperantia): deminuere aliquid de aliqua re (by deducting; e.g., a Grecian mina by deducting five drachmae, de mina una quinque numos j; ☞ diminuere and comminuere cannot be used in this sense): detrahere aliquid de aliqua re (e.g., de tota pecunia quinquagesimam partem).

2. INTRANS., decrescere (to grow less, shorter, etc.; opposed to crescere; e.g., dies, pondus, admiratio; flumina, etc.): minui; se minuere; also minuere only (to become less): imminui (to decrease inwardly): remitti; se remittere; also remittere only (to decrease or abate; e.g., of rain, cold, fever, etc.): levari; sublevari (to become lighter): leniri; mitigari (to become milder): defervescere (to become less hot; e.g., aestus, ira, etc. defervescit). Vid. LESSEN, INTRANS.

3. s. deminutio; imminutio: extenuatio: remissio: mitigatio: levatio [SYN. in LESSEN]. (☞ Vitr., 9, 14, has quotidiana decrescentia lunae; for which he uses deminutio a little before): defectio (e.g., virium). Compare the substantive with the verbs from which they are derived, under To DECREASE.