: a deliberate reduction in the book value of an asset (as to reflect the effect of obsolescence)
wrote down; written down; writing down; writes down
1
: to record in written form
2
a
: to depreciate, disparage, or injure by writing
b
: to reduce in status, rank, or value
especially
: to reduce the book value of
: to write so as to appeal to a lower level of taste, comprehension, or intelligence
Examples of write-down in a Sentence
Verb
a company forced to write down its assets
write down what you remember about that day
Recent Examples on the Web
Julie Coleman, CNBC, 30 May 2025
Shelving the movie put noses out of joint at the time with talks of a potential tax write-down.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
The company reported writing down the value of its equity stake by $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion and incurring $2.7 billion in restructuring charges.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for write-down
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Noun
He was disappointed with American Eagle’s quarter — the retailer missed on earnings, recording a $75 million write-down in spring and summer merchandise.
—Julie Coleman, CNBC, 30 May 2025
Shelving the movie put noses out of joint at the time with talks of a potential tax write-down.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 8 May 2025
Verb
The story, written down on a clay tablet in Mesopotamia around 2,100 B.C., is the seed to the legend.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
The company reported writing down the value of its equity stake by $2.6 billion to $2.9 billion and incurring $2.7 billion in restructuring charges.
—Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for write-down
Cite this Entry
“Write-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-down. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
write down
transitive verb
wrote down; written down; writing down
: to reduce the book value of (an asset)
write down accounts receivable
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