diminished

adjective di·min·ished

|Updated on: 7 Jun 2018

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

Clinton's diminished role -- internally and externally -- within his own party marks a moment for Democrats.

— chris cillizza, CNN, "The sidelining of Bill Clinton," 21 May 2018
Like most states, Oregon does not imprison people who commit crimes while in a diminished mental state.

— jayme fraser, the malheur enterprise, idahostatesman, "Doctors warned that Oregon killer, rapist would attack again. The state released him. | Idaho Statesman," 6 May 2018
In January last year, Ko Ni, a prominent adviser to leader Aung San Suu Kyi and vocal advocate for a diminished military role in an evolving Myanmar, was fatally shot in the head at Yangon International Airport.

— niharika mandhana, WSJ, "A Murder Trial Rekindles Fears in Suu Kyi’s Myanmar," 12 Apr. 2018
Freyre said Castro probably will take a more diminished role, emerging only if the new crop of leaders stray too far from the script or bicker too much among themselves.

— alan gomez, USA TODAY, "Cuba will soon be without a Castro as leader for first time in nearly 60 years," 6 Apr. 2018
Payton’s struggles on both ends of the floor have led to his diminished role.

— scott bordow, azcentral, "Phoenix Suns guard Elfrid Payton facing an uncertain future in the Valley," 20 Mar. 2018
Far more concerning has been the downward trend in his four-seam fastball velocity – from 94.3 mph in 2015 to 93.1 last season to 91.9 this year – accompanied by diminished command, which has made his slider less effective.

— jorge l. ortiz, USA TODAY, "Clayton Kershaw's arm injury, trip to DL latest sign of mortality for Dodgers great," 6 May 2018
But despite this diminished presence, mention of the Nation of Islam can still stir powerful emotions among some black residents, especially those with memories of its heyday.

— michelle boorstein, Washington Post, "In D.C.’s mostly black Ward 8, the Nation of Islam’s presence has faded since its heyday," 5 May 2018
Such evidence can include diminished IQ and mental health issues, among others.

— faith karimi, CNN, "Why Nikolas Cruz's death penalty trial would be complicated," 26 Apr. 2018

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.

First Known Use of diminished

circa 1751

in the meaning defined above

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diminished

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