wastage

noun

wast·​age ˈwā-stij How to pronounce wastage (audio)
: loss, decrease, or destruction of something (as by use, decay, erosion, or leakage)
especially : wasteful or avoidable loss of something valuable

Examples of wastage in a Sentence

the slash-and-burn wastage of the surrounding countryside as the army made its way to the sea
Recent Examples on the Web As the nation collectively emerges from a year marked by very publicly catastrophic chemo drug shortages, this senseless wastage of perfectly viable, reusable cancer medication is deeply upsetting. Samyukta Mullangi, STAT, 1 Mar. 2024 There are strange changes that take place, not just the kind of muscle wastage and the molecular side of things. Anne Easton, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024 The result is a more streamlined and efficient media access strategy that maximizes campaign impact while minimizing wastage. Gary Drenik, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 By regularly assessing team dynamics and operational efficiency, businesses can identify areas of wastage and redundancy. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 26 Oct. 2023 The negatives are depression, time wastage, negative mood, social anxiety, loneliness, and self-discrepancy. Jonathan Taplin, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2023 That the open canal lost over five billion gallons of water each year to evaporation, and another three billion to leakage, was considered tolerable wastage, given the scale and benefits of the project. Wade Davis, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2023 One of the industry’s main issues is fuel wastage, according to Carbon Re co-founder Aidan O’Sullivan, who said that differing qualities of coal mean most producers often use too much of it to produce clinker. Yusuf Khan, WSJ, 24 Aug. 2023 Use water-conserving techniques like drip irrigation to reduce water wastage. Tiffany Acosta arizona Republic, The Arizona Republic, 27 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wastage.' 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

1735, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wastage was in 1735

Dictionary Entries Near wastage

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

wastage

noun
wast·​age ˈwā-stij How to pronounce wastage (audio)
: loss, decrease, or destruction of something (as by use, decay, erosion, or leakage)
especially : wasteful or avoidable loss of something valuable

More from Merriam-Webster on wastage

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