shrinkage

noun

shrink·​age ˈshriŋ-kij 

 especially Southern  ˈsriŋ-

1

: the act or process of shrinking

2

a

: the loss in weight of livestock during shipment and in the process of preparing the meat for consumption

b

: the loss of goods especially by theft

inventory shrinkage

3

: the amount lost by shrinkage

Synonyms

• abatement
• decline
• decrease
• decrement
• dent
• depletion
• depression
• diminishment
• diminution
• drop
• drop-off
• fall
• falloff
• loss
• reduction
• step-down

Examples of shrinkage in a Sentence

The shrinkage in contributions is significant.

a shrinkage of 10 percent

the shrinkage of the polar ice caps

Recent Examples on the Web

In the budget President Biden proposed for next year, the stockpile would receive $965 million, unchanged from 2023 figures and a vast shrinkage from emergency funding levels at the height of the pandemic. —Sarah Owermohle, STAT, 23 May 2024

Russell speculated that this family shrinkage could also be an effect of sky-high home prices and inflation, which may give young families second thoughts about having more children coupled with steep mortgage payments. —Nick Rosenberger, Idaho Statesman, 20 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shrinkage

noun

shrink·​age ˈshriŋ-kij 

: the amount by which something shrinks or becomes less