decline

plural declines

1. countableuncountabledynamicallyDownward movement, fall.

   The aircraft went into a sudden decline before the pilot regained control.

   Synonyms: descent

2. countableuncountableA sloping downward, e.g. of a hill or road.

   After taking a right from that turn a decline will come into view.

3. countableuncountableA deterioration of condition; a weakening or worsening.

   Educational standards are on the decline.

   3 more examples

   He has experienced a sudden decline in his health.

   The country's global reputation is in decline.

   In an era when political leaders promise deliverance from decline through America’s purported preeminence in scientific research, the news that science is in deep trouble in the United States has been as unwelcome as a diagnosis of leukemia following the loss of health insurance.

   2012 January 28, Philip E. Mirowski, “Harms to Health from the Pursuit of Profits”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 04 Apr 2012, page 87

   Synonyms: descent

4. countableuncountableA reduction or diminution of activity, prevalence or quantity.

   Population decline is a major concern.

   3 more examples

   Town-centre retailers have seen a decline in footfall.

   It is also pertinent to note that the current obvious decline in work on holarctic hepatics most surely reflects a current obsession with cataloging and with nomenclature of the organisms—as divorced from their study as living entities.

   1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page ix

   "It knows it has to plan for managed decline, but it can't even plan for managed decline if it doesn't know how much decline to manage."

   2022 March 23, Paul Clifton, “Londoners pay the price”, in RAIL, number 953, page 48

5. countableuncountableThe act of declining or refusing something.

   The issuing bank only checks the consumer's credit card number for authorization. […] Soft declines are those declines in which the bank requires further verification.

   2004, David A. Montague, Fraud Prevention Techniques for Credit Card Fraud

present singular third person declines · participle present declining · participle past declined · past declined · first person past singular declined · archaic present second person singular declinest · past second person singular declined · archaic past second person singular declinedst · present singular third person declines · archaic present singular third person declineth · past singular third person declined · past plural declined · past subjunctive declined · participle present declining · participle past declined

1. intransitiveTo move downwards, to fall, to drop.

   The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001.

   1 more example

   Only empirical observation, and not deduction from the nature of the profit rate, can tell us whether it does tend permanently to decline; and such observation is not found to confirm Marx's theory.

   1978 [1976], Leszek Kołakowski, translated by P[aul] S[teven] Falla, Main Currents of Marxism, volume I: The Founders, Oxford: Clarendon Press, translation of Główne nurty marksizmu: powstanie (in Polish), →ISBN, →OCLC, page 298

2. intransitiveTo become weaker or worse.

   My health declined in winter.

   2 more examples

   After her sother died, Connie began to decline noticeably.

   1982 February 13, Nancy Walker, “Connie”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 29, page 10

   Will this decision-making paralysis continue until Great British Railways has been established and settled into a new rhythm? If so, passengers on the West of England line are in for a rough ride, as the reliability of these tired old British Rail trains inevitably declines, and maintenance costs rise.

   2026 February 18, Paul Clifton, “West of England Line problems laid bare”, in RAIL, page 7

3. transitiveTo bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall.

   in melancholy site, with head declined

   a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC

   1 more example

   And now faire Phoebus gan decline in hast / His weary wagon to the Westerne vale.

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 10

4. transitiveTo cause to decrease or diminish.

   You have declin'd his means.

   1612–1613, Nathan Field, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Honest Mans Fortune”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act II, scene ii

   1 more example

   He knoweth his error, but will not seek to decline it.

   1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC

5. To turn or bend aside; to deviate; to stray; to withdraw.

   a line that declines from straightness

   2 more examples

   conduct that declines from sound morals

   Yet do I not decline from thy testimonies.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 99:157

6. transitiveTo choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.

   On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer.

   2 more examples

   Could I decline this dreadful hour?

   1626, Philip Massinger, The Roman Actor

   “[…] This is Mr. Churchill, who, as you are aware, is good enough to come to us for his diaconate, and, as we hope, for much longer; and being a gentleman of independent means, he declines to take any payment.” Saying this Walden rubbed his hands together and smiled contentedly.

   1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

7. transitiveusuallyadjectives and pronounsgrammarTo inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.

   Synonyms: declense

8. transitivegrammarTo recite all the different declined forms of (a word): to recite its declension.

   after the first declining of a noun and a verb

   1570, Roger Ascham, The Scholemaster, 1st edition

   Synonyms: declense

9. broadlyTo run through from first to last; to recite in order as though declining a noun.

   Decline all this, and see what now thou art. For happy wife, a most distressed widow; For joyful mother, one that wails the name; For one being sued to, one that humbly sues; For queen , a very caitiff crown'd with care[…]

   c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]

10. CanadianAmerican footballTo reject a penalty against the opposing team, usually because the result of accepting it would benefit the non-penalized team less than the preceding play.

    The team chose to decline the fifteen-yard penalty because their receiver had caught the ball for a thirty-yard gain.