Decrease and Economy

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 system of production and distribution and consumption.
  • synonyms: economic system
• The efficient use of resources.
  • usage: "economy of effort"
• Frugality in the expenditure of money or resources.
  • usage: "the Scots are famous for their economy"
  • synonyms: thriftiness
• An act of economizing; reduction in cost.
  • usage: "it was a small economy to walk to work every day"; "there was a saving of 50 cents"
  • synonyms: saving

• (n.) The management of domestic affairs; the regulation and government of household matters; especially as they concern expense or disbursement; as, a careful economy.
• (n.) Orderly arrangement and management of the internal affairs of a state or of any establishment kept up by production and consumption; especially, such management as directly concerns wealth; as, political economy.
• (n.) The system of rules and regulations by which anything is managed; orderly system of regulating the distribution and uses of parts, conceived as the result of wise and economical adaptation in the author, whether human or divine; as, the animal or vegetable economy; the economy of a poem; the Jewish economy.
• (n.) Thrifty and frugal housekeeping; management without loss or waste; frugality in expenditure; prudence and disposition to save; as, a housekeeper accustomed to economy but not to parsimony.