{
    "term": "decline",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "academic": true,
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "b2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "decline",
            "heSheIt": "declines"
        },
        "pastSimple": "declined",
        "pastParticiple": "declined",
        "ingForm": "declining"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to become smaller, fewer, weaker, etc.",
            "sensetop": "decline by somethingdecline in something",
            "labels": "(rather formal)",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Support for the party continues to decline."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sales of whole milk declined by 4 per cent.",
                    "contextForm": "decline by something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The city declined in importance in the nineteenth century.",
                    "contextForm": "decline in something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to decline in popularity/value/number"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Jobs in manufacturing have steadily declined."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to decline sharply/significantly/dramatically"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to decline rapidly/markedly/substantially"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her health began to decline."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Profits declined by 6 per cent this year."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The economy has declined sharply in recent years."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The market for these products is declining fast."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The number of full-time staff has declined from 300 to just 50."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This section of the market has slowly declined in importance."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Her health was declining rapidly."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["considerably", "dramatically", "drastically"],
                "preposition": ["by", "from", "to"],
                "phrases": ["decline in importance, numbers, size, etc."]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to refuse politely to accept or to do something",
            "sensetop": "decline somethingdecline to do something",
            "labels": "(formal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I offered to give them a lift but they declined."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to **decline an offer/invitation**",
                    "contextForm": "decline something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We **politely declined** her invitation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She declined a second cup of coffee and called for a taxi."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Their spokesman declined to comment on the allegations.",
                    "contextForm": "decline to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Patients of course have the right to decline treatment."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The minister declined to be interviewed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I absolutely decline to discuss my dealings with him or anyone."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "refuse1",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["politely", "respectfully"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "if a noun, an adjective or a pronoun declines, it has different forms according to whether it is the subject or the object of a verb, whether it is in the singular or plural, etc. When you decline a noun, etc., you list these forms.",
            "sensetop": "decline (something)",
            "labels": "(grammar)",
            "cefr": "c2",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Language"]
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪn/",
                "audio": "de/decline/decline__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪnz/",
                "audio": "de/decline/declines__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪnd/",
                "audio": "de/decline/declined__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "de/decline/declining__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪn/",
                "audio": "de/decline/decline__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪnz/",
                "audio": "de/decline/declines__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪnd/",
                "audio": "de/decline/declined__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/dɪˈklaɪnɪŋ/",
                "audio": "de/decline/declining__us_2.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": null
}