declines; declined; declining
1
: to become lower in amount or less in number
Oil prices continue to decline. [=decrease, fall]
The construction of new houses declined five percent this year.
The animal's numbers are declining rapidly.
2
: to become worse in condition or quality
The patient's condition has declined. [=worsened, deteriorated]
My grandmother's health has been declining since she broke her hip.
The civilization began to decline around 1000 B.C.
3
somewhat formal
a
: to say that you will not or cannot do something
The company declined comment on the scandal.
—usually followed by to + verbThe company declined to comment on the scandal.
She declined to run for a second term as governor.
b
: to say no to something in a polite way
Regretfully, we have to decline [=turn down] the invitation to your wedding.
He changed his mind and declined the company's offer.
I invited him, but he declined.
4
grammar
: to list the different forms of (a noun, pronoun, or adjective)
We had to decline the Latin adjective "brevis" on our test.
plural declines
1
: the process of becoming worse in condition or quality
a period of economic decline
He says that American industry is in a state of decline.
There was a general feeling that the country was in decline. [=was becoming less powerful, wealthy, etc.]
The town fell/went into decline after the factory closed down.
—usually singularHe has experienced a decline in health.
the decline and fall of the Roman empire
The company's products suffered a decline in quality.
a gradual physical/mental decline
2
: a change to a lower number or amount
The economy experienced a decline of two million jobs.
We saw a sharp/steep decline in sales this month.
Declines led advances at the end of the trading day.
There was some decline in stock prices at the end of the trading session.
Cite this Entry
“Decline.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/decline. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
Copy Citation
