Decrease vs Minimize - What's the difference?

In lang=en terms the difference between decrease and minimize

is that decrease is to make (a quantity) smaller while minimize is to make (something) as small or as insignificant as possible.

As verbs the difference between decrease and minimize

is that decrease is of a quantity, to become smaller while minimize is to make (something) as small or as insignificant as possible.

As a noun decrease

is an amount by which a quantity is decreased.

decrease

English

Verb

(decreas)

Of a quantity, to become smaller.

To make (a quantity) smaller.

Synonyms

* (become smaller) drop, fall, go down, plummet (rapidly), plunge (rapidly), reduce, shrink, sink * (make smaller) abate, cut, decrement, lower, reduce

Antonyms

* (become larger) go up, grow, increase, rise, soar (rapidly), shoot up (rapidly) * (make larger) increase, increment, raise, up (informal)

Noun

(en noun)

An amount by which a quantity is decreased.

(knitting) A reduction in the number of stitches, usually accomplished by suspending the stitch to be decreased from another existing stitch or by knitting it together with another stitch. See .

Synonyms

* (amount by which a quantity is decreased) cut, decrement, drop, fall, loss, lowering, reduction, shrinkage

Antonyms

* (amount by which a quantity is decreased) gain, increase, increment, raise , rise

Anagrams

* English ergative verbs English heteronyms 1000 English basic words

minimize

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (non-Oxford British spelling)

Verb

(minimiz)

To make (something) as small or as insignificant as possible.

(computing, transitive, graphical user interface) To remove (a window) from the main display area, collapsing it to an icon or caption.

I didn't close anything, but I minimized all the windows so I could see the desktop.