- (a.) To make less; to reduce; to make smaller or fewer; to diminish; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune.
- (v.i.) To become less; to shrink; to contract; to decrease; to be diminished; as, the apparent magnitude of objects lessens as we recede from them; his care or his wealth, lessened.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
| APA | Webster's. (2011). lessen. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/lessen/definitions/2027466 |
| Chicago | Webster's. 2011. "lessen" http://smartdefine.org/lessen/definitions/2027466 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | Webster's 2011, lessen, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/lessen/definitions/2027466>. |
| MLA | Webster's. "lessen" 27 May 2011. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/lessen/definitions/2027466> |