markdown

1 of 2

noun

mark·​down ˈmärk-ˌdau̇n 

1

: a lowering of price

2

: the amount by which an original selling price is reduced

mark down

2 of 2

verb

marked down; marking down; marks down

transitive verb

: to put a lower price on

Synonyms of markdown

Verb

• reduce
• write down

Examples of markdown in a Sentence

Verb

marked down all seasonal goods immediately after the holidays

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Year after year, the Brooklinen Black Friday sale delivers—and 2025’s markdowns are well worth the hype. —Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 17 Nov. 2025

Prices vary by size, with markdowns of up to 81 percent off. —Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025

Verb

Maybe pecans are pricey this year but walnuts aren’t, or short ribs are marked down while tenderloin costs double. —Allison Palmer, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025

And Microsoft just marked down the value of its investment in OpenAI in an accounting move that implies OpenAI lost $12 billion in the most recent quarter. —Jim Edwards, Fortune, 11 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1833, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for markdown

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown

Kids Definition

markdown

1 of 2 noun

mark·​down ˈmärk-ˌdau̇n 

1

: a lowering of price

2

: the amount by which an original selling price is reduced

mark down

2 of 2 verb

(ˈ)märk-ˈdau̇n

: to put a lower price on

marked down all the books for the sale