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 of shrinkage

• decrease
• reduction
• dent
• decline
• drop

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 study participants with type 2 diabetes, men showed muscle shrinkage. —Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Niotis added that neurodegenerative diseases cause accelerated brain shrinkage in specific regions of the brain like the gray matter. —Sandra Rose Salathe, Flow Space, 21 Nov. 2025

That may help stave off some of the shrinkage of this region that happens with age (and which can contribute to dementia). —Erica Sloan, SELF, 21 Nov. 2025

White matter lesions occur when the white matter (the brain area consisting of communicating nerve cells) is deprived of oxygen due to poor blood flow, resulting in brain tissue damage and shrinkage (atrophy). —Colleen Doherty, Verywell Health, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shrinkage

• linkage

Kids Definition

shrinkage

noun

shrink·​age ˈshriŋ-kij 

: the amount by which something shrinks or becomes less