diminished

adjective di·min·ished

Definition of diminished

of a musical interval

: made one half step less than perfect or minor a diminished fifth

Recent Examples of diminished from the Web

The Supreme Court has already said people with intellectual disabilities and juveniles may not be executed because of their diminished culpability.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Virginia governor rejects clemency for William C. Morva, inmate facing execution tonight", 6 July 2017
Is this a metaphor for the diminished authority of the American white male amid demographic shifts?

— christian lorentzen, New Republic, "The spirit of wounded masculinity haunts America in 'A Ghost Story.'", 5 July 2017
Plummer shows us his resentment of his deeply diminished rank, how he is baffled, humbled and willing to bargain with the devilish Hitler to return to his family’s lost throne.

— colin covert, star-telegram.com, "‘The Exception’ is not as exceptional as it should be", 29 June 2017
Plummer shows us his resentment of his deeply diminished rank, how he is baffled, humbled and willing to bargain with the devilish Hitler to return to his family’s lost throne.

— colin covert, idahostatesman, "Script hinders promise of ‘The Exception’", 29 June 2017
A study released Friday by the University of Iowa that included four East Chicago schools concluded the presence of aging caulking and light fixtures may lead to diminished air quality inside the buildings.

— meredith colias, Post-Tribune, "Study: Replace aging building materials in schools", 28 June 2017
His trip last week to Russia and Norway ended up underscoring the president’s problems and Brazil’s diminished stature overseas.

— mauricio savarese, The Seattle Times, "Corruption charge increases pressure on Brazil’s president", 26 June 2017
His trip last week to Russia and Norway ended up underscoring the president's problems and Brazil's diminished stature overseas thanks to a steady stream of corruption scandals the last three years.

— peter prengaman and mauricio savarese, chicagotribune.com, "Brazil President Michel Temer formally accused of corruption", 26 June 2017
For all the talk about an eight-member Supreme Court being bad for the country, imagine a diminished, six-member version of the court making, or unmaking, a key principle of American law in ways that will long outlast today’s constitutional moment.

— cristian farias, Daily Intelligencer, "How a Shorthanded Supreme Court Gutted a Historic Civil Rights Remedy", 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'diminished'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.