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
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
The testers also expressed that the buttery smooth sheets are cool to the touch thanks to the viscose, and that even after multiple washes there weren’t loose threads or any shrinkage.
—
Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
The eurozone showed zero growth in the last three months of last year, following shrinkage of 0.1% in the quarter before that.
—David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 1 Mar. 2024
Though still soft and smooth, the material wasn’t as shiny and emerged mildly wrinkled with some shrinkage.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2024
North American and European families already trend smaller, so shrinkage will be less pronounced in those regions, according to researchers.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 10 Jan. 2024
From 2019 to 2023, shrinkage added about 3.6 percentage points to inflation for products like paper towels and toilet paper, up from 1.2 percentage points from 2015 to 2019.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
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
Amy Schulman, Peoplemag, 27 Mar. 2024
The eurozone showed zero growth in the last three months of last year, following shrinkage of 0.1% in the quarter before that.
—David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 1 Mar. 2024
Though still soft and smooth, the material wasn’t as shiny and emerged mildly wrinkled with some shrinkage.
—Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Jan. 2024
North American and European families already trend smaller, so shrinkage will be less pronounced in those regions, according to researchers.
—Erin Prater, Fortune Well, 10 Jan. 2024
From 2019 to 2023, shrinkage added about 3.6 percentage points to inflation for products like paper towels and toilet paper, up from 1.2 percentage points from 2015 to 2019.
—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near shrinkage
Cite this Entry
“Shrinkage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shrinkage. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shrinkage
noun
shrink·age
ˈshriŋ-kij
: the amount by which something shrinks or becomes less
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