Definition of "decline" in English

noun

1. Downward movement, fall.

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

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

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

   • He has experienced a sudden decline in his health.
   • Educational standards are on the decline.
   • The country's global reputation is in decline.

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

   • Population decline is a major concern.
   • Town-centre retailers have seen a decline in footfall.

5. The act of declining or refusing something.

verb

1. (intransitive) To move downwards, to fall, to drop.

   • The dollar has declined rapidly since 2001.

2. (intransitive) To become weaker or worse.

   • My health declined in winter.

3. (transitive) To bend downward; to bring down; to depress; to cause to bend, or fall.

4. (transitive) To cause to decrease or diminish.

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

   • a line that declines from straightness
   • conduct that declines from sound morals

6. (transitive) To choose not to do something; refuse, forbear, refrain.

   • On reflection I think I will decline your generous offer.

7. (transitive, grammar, usually of substantives, adjectives and pronouns) To inflect for case, number, gender, and the like.

8. (transitive, grammar) To recite all the different declined forms of (a word): to recite its declension.

9. (by extension) To run through from first to last; to recite in order as though declining a noun.

10. (American football, Canadian football) To 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.