diminution

3 definitions found

diminution - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Diminution \Dim`i*nu"tion\, n. [L. diminutio, or perh. rather
     deminutio: cf. F. diminution. See Diminish.]
     1. The act of diminishing, or of making or becoming less;
        state of being diminished; reduction in size, quantity, or
        degree; -- opposed to augmentation or increase.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The act of lessening dignity or consideration, or the
        state of being deprived of dignity; a lowering in
        estimation; degradation; abasement.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              The world's opinion or diminution of me. --Eikon
                                                    Basilike.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              Nor thinks it diminution to be ranked
              In military honor next.               --Philips.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Law) Omission, inaccuracy, or defect in a record.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Mus.) In counterpoint, the imitation of, or reply to, a
        subject, in notes of half the length or value of those the
        subject itself.
  
     Syn: Decrease; decay; abatement; reduction; deduction;
          decrement.
          [1913 Webster]

diminution - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  diminution
      n 1: change toward something smaller or lower [syn: decline,
           diminution]
      2: the statement of a theme in notes of lesser duration (usually
         half the length of the original) [ant: augmentation]
      3: the act of decreasing or reducing something [syn: decrease,
         diminution, reduction, step-down] [ant: increase,
         step-up]

diminution - Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 :

  100 Moby Thesaurus words for "diminution":
     abatement, abridgment, allayment, alleviation, analgesia,
     anesthesia, anesthetizing, appeasement, assuagement, attenuation,
     attrition, blunting, calming, concavity, contraction, curtailment,
     cut, cutting, dampening, damping, de-escalation, deadening,
     debasement, decrease, decrement, decrescence, deduction, deflation,
     degradation, demotion, demulsion, depletion, depreciation,
     depression, derogation, descent, detraction, detrusion,
     diminishment, dip, disparagement, ducking, dulcification, dulling,
     dying, dying off, ease, easement, easing, extenuation, extraction,
     fade-out, falling-off, hauling down, hollowness, hushing,
     impairment, languishment, leniency, lessening, letdown, letup,
     lightening, loosening, lowering, lulling, miniaturization,
     mitigation, modulation, mollification, numbing, pacification,
     palliation, quietening, quieting, reduction, relaxation, relief,
     remedy, remission, retraction, retrenchment, sagging, salving,
     scaling down, shortening, shrinkage, simplicity, sinking,
     slackening, softening, soothing, subduement, submergence,
     subtraction, tempering, thrusting under, tranquilization,
     truncation, weakening