shrinkage

noun

shrink·​age ˈshriŋ-kij How to pronounce shrinkage (audio)
 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

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 Acknowledging the Hong Kong industry’s shrinkage and its inward turn of late, Wong says the objective is to expand scale and horizons again. Patrick Frater, Variety, 17 Feb. 2024 And as more chains and online retailers post unit costs, shoppers may be more attuned to size changes, Mr. Yao said, an awareness that could beat back against future shrinkage. Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 That reduced range of motion goes along with a gradual muscle shrinkage, known as sarcopenia, that begins around age 30. Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 20 Feb. 2024 The shrinkage is too small to have any impact on us down here on Earth, such as on eclipses, full moons or the tidal cycles, study co-author Nicholas Schmerr of the University of Maryland told USA TODAY. Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, 30 Jan. 2024 The Scottish cashmere is machine-washable and specially treated to avoid shrinkage when exposed to water, a pro for cleaning and managing snowstorms. Leah Melby Clinton, wsj.com, 5 Jan. 2024 Despite experiencing a little bit of shrinkage after going through the wash, the fabric otherwise held up well in testing. Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2024 Since the height data was self-reported, some of the shrinkage was attributed to people finally being honest about their heights. Devika Rao, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024 Carrefour has started marking its shelves with signs detailing the degree of shrinkage and how much consumers were getting gouged on prices. Liz Alderman, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shrinkage.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shrinkage was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near shrinkage

Cite this Entry

“Shrinkage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrinkage. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

shrinkage

noun
shrink·​age ˈshriŋ-kij How to pronounce shrinkage (audio)
: the amount by which something shrinks or becomes less

More from Merriam-Webster on shrinkage

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