Definition of shrinkage
1 : the act or process of shrinking
2a : the loss in weight of livestock during shipment and in the process of preparing the meat for consumptionb : the loss of goods especially by theft inventory shrinkage
3 : the amount lost by shrinkage
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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 of shrinkage from the Web
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White matter volume varies by individual, but studies have shown that significant shrinkage in adulthood can be a sign of damage.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shrinkage'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
1800
First Known Use of shrinkage
1800
SHRINKAGE Defined for English Language Learners
shrinkage
playDefinition of shrinkage for English Language Learners
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: the amount by which something becomes smaller or less
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: the act or process of becoming smaller in amount, size, or value
SHRINKAGE Defined for Kids
shrinkage
playDefinition of shrinkage for Students
: the amount by which something shrinks or becomes less
Learn More about shrinkage
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See words that rhyme with shrinkage Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shrinkage Spanish Central: Translation of shrinkage Nglish: Translation of shrinkage for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shrinkage
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