declining slope

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "declining slope" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts related to mathematics, physics, or any discussion involving graphs or trends that show a decrease. Example: "The graph illustrates a declining slope, indicating a decrease in sales over the last quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

President Obama has committed to one of them: a gradual drawdown by 2014, accepting three more years of sacrifice in blood and expenditure (on a declining slope, it is hoped), in the expectation that Afghan forces can be built up to hold off the Taliban, protect civilians, and prevent civil war, which would almost certainly spill into Pakistan, making things there even worse.

The New Yorker

Our third site, the rock slide, is a subtidal boulder field adjacent to the shoreline on a 45° declining slope.

Plosone

The study site at Smitty's Cove is relatively shallow (15 20 m deep) and is characterized by a gently declining slope and a mixed, soft and hard sediment substrate.

Plosone

The declining slope was steeper among APOE E4 carriers than E4 noncarriers.

Disease Markers

Rather, the declining slope of Jmax : Vcmax through time for all treatments suggests a gradual reallocation of N as plants acclimated to reductions in soil N availability.

AoB PLANTS

T2*min, ischemic minimum of T2*; T2*max, T2* peak value during reactive hyperemia; TTP, time to peak; DS, declining slope after hyperemia peaking; EV, T2* end value.

Arthritis Research and Therapy

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

51 human-written examples

Including all corticosteroid treatment regimens, we observed that after age 7 when boys start declining, the slope is of approximately 3.5 units in NSAA per year.

Neuromuscular Disorders

Indeed, evolution of declining IPR slope led to the identification of gradual wellbore blockage in one of the wells completed openhole.

Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

The ITS analysis (Table 2) revealed significant post-intervention drop of the baseline level of all MRSA bacteremias, representing an immediate effect, (β2 -0.554, p 0.000) and the post-intervention declining trend (slope), representing a sustained effect (β3 -0.393, p 0.048) where pre-intervention coefficient β1 was close to 0 (−0.033,) signifying a flat trend.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control

In permeate domain, H2 fraction showed the same trend but the decline slope was much less than feed domain being 2.22%.

Chemical Engineering Science

The rate of decline (slope function as %/year) averaged 0.710%/year of age, with a nonsignificantly steeper decline among women than men (0.756 vs. 0.631%/year), and 0.915%/year of lithium exposure, with a significantly greater (non-overlapping CIs) rate of decline among women than men (0.934 vs. 0.785%/year of lithium; Table 6).

International Journal of Bipolar Disorders

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing data trends, use "declining slope" to clearly indicate a decreasing rate or value over time. For instance, "The declining slope of the sales graph indicates a need for a new marketing strategy."

Common error

Avoid using "declined slope" when you mean "declining slope". "Declined" implies a finished action, whereas "declining" describes an ongoing process. Use "declining slope" to refer to the continuing decrease in the steepness of the slope, not a slope that has already stopped declining.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "declining slope" functions as a descriptive term, often used to characterize a trend or physical feature. It highlights a decreasing rate or downward gradient. Ludwig provides examples of its use in both scientific and general contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

17%

Encyclopedias

8%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "declining slope" is a descriptive term used to characterize a decreasing rate or downward gradient, primarily in scientific and news-related contexts. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While not extremely common, the phrase is valuable for clearly indicating diminishing trends or downward-sloping surfaces. Alternatives like "decreasing slope" or "negative slope" can be used depending on the specific context. When using the phrase, ensure you're describing an ongoing process rather than a completed action, avoiding the error of using "declined" instead of "declining". Overall, "declining slope" provides a precise way to convey a downward trend in various fields.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

decreasing slope

This alternative uses a synonym for "declining", keeping the meaning virtually identical.

falling slope

This alternative replaces "declining" with another synonym, "falling", indicating a similar downward movement.

negative slope

This alternative describes the slope in mathematical terms indicating the slope is decreasing.

downward trend

This option broadens the phrase to describe any downward direction that includes more broad scenarios of the concept.

decreasing gradient

This alternative swaps "slope" with "gradient", which is often used interchangeably, particularly in scientific contexts.

downward incline

While technically contradictory, this phrase can sometimes be used to emphasize a slope that is going downwards.

descending angle

This focuses on the angular aspect of the slope, emphasizing the decline in angle.

diminishing slope

This alternative highlights the gradual decrease of the slope.

receding slope

This suggests the slope is moving backward or away, implying a decrease.

sloping downwards

This is a more descriptive alternative, directly stating the direction of the slope.

FAQs

How can I use "declining slope" in a sentence?

You can use "declining slope" to describe trends in graphs or physical features. For example: "The graph shows a declining slope in profits this quarter" or "The hiking trail featured a declining slope making it easier to descend".

What does a "declining slope" indicate?

A "declining slope" generally indicates a downward trend or decrease over time or distance. In data, it represents a decreasing rate. In physical features, it describes a downward-sloping surface.

What are some alternatives to "declining slope"?

Some alternatives include "decreasing slope", "negative slope", and "downward trend". The best choice depends on the specific context. For example, you might use "decreasing gradient" in a scientific context.

Is there a difference between "declining slope" and "declined slope"?

Yes, "declining slope" refers to a slope that is currently decreasing, while "declined slope" would describe a slope that has already decreased. The former describes a process, the latter a completed action.