diminished by one

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "diminished by one" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used in contexts where you want to indicate a reduction or decrease in quantity, specifically by one unit. Example: "The total number of participants was diminished by one due to a last-minute cancellation."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one".

Huffington Post

Biases are reinforced or diminished by one's background, like cultural roots, personal experience and environmental aspects.

Huffington Post

In the presence of penicillin, two of these five knockouts (Δ spr0084 and Δ spr0175) showed no reduction in OD620 and survival was only diminished by one order of magnitude (strongly defective autolysis); the remaining three (Δ spr1268, Δspr 0930 and Δspr 0991) showed ~2-fold reductions in OD620 and reduction of three orders of magnitude in survival (partially defective autolysis).

BMC Genomics

The frequency for larger earthquakes therefore increases by a factor of about 10 when the magnitude is diminished by one unit.

Encyclopedia Britannica

At that moment your inventory of ready-made-always-available-in-a-pinch targets would be diminished by one, and since the list is never really that long, the loss of one would be serious.

The New York Times

Middle Tennessee won by a whopping five games after going 19-1 in conference, with its only loss coming in overtime — and yet its hopes of going to the N.C.A.A. tournament were significantly diminished by one bad outing.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Some artists are diminished by one-person shows; Bronzino has gained and so have we.

The Economist

Differences between groups were diminished by one-half after 4 years (−0.88% vs. −0.05% per year in ILI and DSE, respectively) but remained significant (P < 0.01).

Diabetes Care

Insofar as I regard these sequels as rat-bottom awful and can see them as nothing else, I lose out, diminish by one my count of blisses.

The New York Times - Books

At the level of the blocks in the stepped wedge design, an effect might not be detectable with statistical significance after two screening rounds, unless the prevalence diminishes by one-third or more.

BMC Infectious Diseases

When we excluded School MS302, a school farther from a highway (1,216 feet), from the PEF model with personal EC, the marginal significance of the EC pollution increased to p = 0.43, although the effect estimate remained consistently negative, diminishing by one-third.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "diminished by one" when you want to precisely indicate a reduction of exactly one unit, especially in formal writing or scientific contexts. For example, "The sample size was diminished by one due to a participant withdrawing from the study."

Common error

While "diminished by one" is grammatically correct, it can sound overly formal in casual conversation. In informal settings, consider using simpler alternatives like "one less" or "reduced by one".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "diminished by one" functions as a descriptive modifier, indicating a specific quantitative reduction. It describes the extent to which something has been reduced. As Ludwig AI confirms, the expression is suitable and grammatically valid.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "diminished by one" is a grammatically sound way to express a reduction by a single unit, confirmed by Ludwig AI. While versatile, it leans towards formal contexts where precision is key. Alternatives such as "reduced by one" or "one less" may be more suitable for informal settings. Its presence in news, scientific articles and encyclopedias highlights its utility in conveying precise quantitative information. While not extremely common, it's a useful addition to one's vocabulary for accurate communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reduced by one

Changes the verb "diminished" to "reduced", maintaining the same meaning of lessening by a single unit.

decreased by one

Substitutes "diminished" with "decreased", offering a synonym that also signifies a reduction of one.

lessened by one

Replaces "diminished" with "lessened", emphasizing a reduction in quantity or degree.

shrunk by one

Uses "shrunk" instead of "diminished", suggesting a decrease in size or extent by a single unit.

declined by one

Employs "declined" to indicate a reduction or decrease in number or amount by one.

fallen by one

Uses "fallen" to describe a decrease in value or quantity by one.

dropped by one

Replaces "diminished" with "dropped", indicating a sudden or noticeable decrease by one.

reduced by a single unit

Expands the phrase to specify "a single unit", providing additional clarity.

one less

Offers a shorter, more informal way to express the concept of being reduced by one.

taken away one

Uses "taken away" to describe the subtraction of one unit.

FAQs

What does "diminished by one" mean?

The phrase "diminished by one" means that something has been reduced or decreased in quantity by exactly one unit.

When is it appropriate to use "diminished by one"?

It's appropriate to use "diminished by one" in formal or technical contexts where precise language is important. Simpler phrases might be preferred in casual settings.

What are some alternatives to saying "diminished by one"?

Alternatives include phrases like "reduced by one", "decreased by one", or simply "one less", depending on the context.

Is "diminished by one" the same as "decreased by one"?

Yes, "diminished by one" and "decreased by one" are essentially synonymous, both indicating a reduction in quantity by a single unit. The choice between them often depends on stylistic preference or the specific context.