Receding

Part of speech: verb, adjective

Definitions

1. The process in which something moves backwards or lessens in intensity can manifest visibly as it diminishes over time
2. An occurrence characterized by the gradual withdrawal or decreasing prominence of an object or idea is often identified by this term
3. A phenomenon where an object or concept gradually moves away or diminishes in presence can be described using this term

Etymology: "Receding" is the present participle of "recede," and the verb's roots are about as literal as etymology gets: Latin "recedere" combined "re-" (back) with "cedere" (to go), so the original sense was simply going back the way you came. That plain physical motion is still visible in the modern meanings, whether a hairline or a flood tide pulls away from its former position. The verb reached English through Middle English "receden," which was borrowed from Middle French "receder," itself taken from the Latin. Its sense of a gradual withdrawal, in both physical and figurative uses, grew out of that original notion of going backward.

Synonyms: withdrawing, retreating, diminishing, decreasing, fading

Antonyms: approaching, advancing, increasing, growing, expanding