diminishing
Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
diminish/dɪˈmɪnɪʃ/
▶verb
- 1 make or become less.
- 2 (as adj. diminished) Music denoting an interval which is one semitone less than the corresponding minor or perfect interval.
– phrases
(the law of) diminishing returns the principle that as expenditure or investment increases each further increase produces a proportionately smaller return.
(the law of) diminishing returns the principle that as expenditure or investment increases each further increase produces a proportionately smaller return.
– derivatives
diminishable adjective.
diminishable adjective.
– origin ME: blend of archaic minish ‘diminish’ (based on L. minutia ‘smallness’) and obs. diminue ‘speak disparagingly’ (based on L. deminuere ‘lessen’).
'diminishing' also found in these Oxford entries:
