reduce by one

USAGE SUMMARY

"reduce by one" is correct and can be used in written English.
You might use this phrase when wanting to indicate that you want to decrease the number of something by one unit. For example: "To save on resources, we should reduce the number of staff by one."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

The rules, which take effect on Jan . 4 will reduce by one hour a driver's maximum workday, including driving, loading and unloading, making it 14 hours.

The New York Times

Unfortunately, the non-compromise he floated does not reduce by one penny the amount of money he would force Catholics to spend on those items.

Huffington Post

In this country, the necessary expenditure in training to reduce by one the number of unemployed would be over US$11,200 (PPP).

IZA Journal of Labor Policy

The maximum stress of the brain may reduce by one order of magnitude, whether someone wears the safety helmet or not.

Applied Mathematics and Computation

The proposed color gradient discretization can reduce, by one order of magnitude, the spurious current problem that affects the interface between the phases.

Computers & Fluids

Whenever there is a collision, the Markov chain moves from the collision stage j − 1 to j, and starts from a counter randomly selected from the range [0,CW j − 1 ] and the counter will reduce by one after each time slot if the medium is sensed idle.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

The most recent document (July 2014) from the Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals proposes a target to "by 2030 reduce by one-third pre-mature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and treatment [ 64]…".

Globalization and Health

Bring vegetable mixture to a boil, and reduce by one-third.

The New York Times - Food

The announcement is the clearest sign yet that British Telecom's plan to reduce by one-third its £30 billion ($43.41 billion) in debt is running into trouble.

The New York Times

Experts at the Guttmacher Institute also estimate that by providing women wider access to modern contraceptives and family planning services, maternal deaths would reduce by one-third.

Huffington Post

Target 4: " by 2030 reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through prevention and treatment, and promote mental health and wellbeing".

Globalization and Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "reduce by one" when you want to clearly and concisely express a decrease of exactly one unit in a specific quantity or value.

Common error

Avoid using "reduce by one" when you intend to express a proportional reduction or a decrease by more than one unit. Use phrases like "reduce by a third" or "reduce by several" in those cases.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "reduce by one" is as a verb phrase used to describe an action of decreasing a quantity by a single unit. As Ludwig AI clarifies, it's a grammatically sound phrase commonly employed to indicate this precise type of reduction.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

43%

News & Media

43%

Formal & Business

14%

Less common in

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "reduce by one" is a grammatically correct verb phrase that signifies a decrease of exactly one unit. While not exceedingly common, it finds usage across various contexts, including science, news, and business. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical soundness and usability. When employing this phrase, ensure clarity and accuracy, avoiding its use when referring to proportional reductions or decreases greater than one. Related phrases such as "decrease by a single unit" may offer alternative phrasing depending on the desired tone and level of formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Decrease by a single unit

Replaces "reduce" with "decrease" and specifies "single unit" for clarity.

Diminish by one

Substitutes "reduce" with "diminish", offering a slightly more formal tone.

Lower by one

Replaces "reduce" with "lower", providing a more direct and simpler alternative.

Subtract one from

Uses a mathematical term, "subtract", to express the reduction.

Deduct one from

Similar to "subtract", but may imply a more formal or accounting context.

Take away one

Offers an informal and easily understandable alternative using "take away".

Cut back by one

Emphasizes the action of cutting back, implying a deliberate reduction.

Trim by one

Suggests a slight reduction, possibly in a non-essential area.

Scale down by one

Implies a proportional or systematic decrease.

Curtail by one

Presents a more formal and controlled reduction.

FAQs

How can I use "reduce by one" in a sentence?

You can use "reduce by one" to indicate a decrease of exactly one unit. For example, "We need to "reduce by one" staff member to meet the budget".

What's a more formal way to say "reduce by one"?

A more formal alternative to "reduce by one" could be "decrease by a single unit", which provides a clearer and more precise expression.

Is it correct to say "reduce by one" or "reduce of one"?

It is correct to say ""reduce by one"". "Reduce of one" is grammatically incorrect and not commonly used.

What's the difference between ""reduce by one"" and "reduce to one"?

"Reduce by one" means to decrease a quantity by one. "Reduce to one" means to bring the quantity down until it equals one.