Decrease and Deficit

noun

• A change downward.
  • usage: "there was a decrease in his temperature as the fever subsided"; "there was a sharp drop-off in sales"
  • synonyms: lessening, drop-off
• A process of becoming smaller or shorter.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The amount by which something decreases.
  • synonyms: decrement
• The act of decreasing or reducing something.
  • synonyms: diminution, reduction, step-down

verb

• Decrease in size, extent, or range.
  • usage: "The amount of homework decreased towards the end of the semester"; "The cabin pressure fell dramatically"; "her weight fell to under a hundred pounds"; "his voice fell to a whisper"
  • synonyms: diminish, lessen, fall
• Make smaller.
  • usage: "He decreased his staff"
  • synonyms: lessen, minify

• (v.t.) To cause to grow less; to diminish gradually; as, extravagance decreases one's means.
• (v.) A becoming less; gradual diminution; decay; as, a decrease of revenue or of strength.
• (n.) To grow less, -- opposed to increase; to be diminished gradually, in size, degree, number, duration, etc. or in strength, quality or excellence; as, they days decrease in length from June to December.
• (v.) The wane of the moon.

noun

• The property of being an amount by which something is less than expected or required.
  • usage: "new blood vessels bud out from the already dilated vascular bed to make up the nutritional deficit"
  • synonyms: shortage, shortfall
• A deficiency or failure in neurological or mental functioning.
  • usage: "the people concerned have a deficit in verbal memory"; "they have serious linguistic deficits"
• Sports) the score by which a team or individual is losing. (
• An excess of liabilities over assets (usually over a certain period. )
  • usage: "last year there was a serious budgetary deficit"

deficit is the amount by which something, such as money, falls short of the required or expected amount. The amount by which liabilities exceed assets. The amount by which expenditures and obligations exceed the amount budgeted for them.