shrinkage

[shring-kij]

noun

1. the act or fact of shrinking.

2. the amount or degree of shrinking.

3. reduction or depreciation in quantity, value, etc.

4. contraction of a fabric in finishing or washing.

5. the difference between the original weight of livestock and that after it has been prepared for marketing.

6. Commerce.,  loss of merchandise through breakage, pilferage, shoplifting, etc.

shrinkage

/ ˈʃrɪŋkɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or fact of shrinking

2. the amount by which anything decreases in size, value, weight, etc

3. the loss in body weight during shipment and preparation of livestock for marketing as meat

4. the loss of merchandise in a retail store through theft or damage

Word History and Origins

Origin of shrinkage¹

First recorded in 1790–1800; shrink + -age

Example Sentences

His team at Glamos has monitored a record shrinkage of the glaciers over the past few years.

From BBC

More distressing is the collapse or shrinkage of the guardrails to prevent it, from the press to Congress to the business community to some judges.

From Salon

“We’ve actually seen some slippage and shrinkage in the last couple of months.”

From Los Angeles Times

This led to the significant shrinkage of tumors before standard chemotherapy was administered.

From Science Daily

However you want to describe what’s going on in the Hollywood economy right now, there are potentially brutal long-term consequences of the entertainment industry’s shrinkage.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• contraction 
• depreciation 
• diminution 
• reduction 
• shrinking www.thesaurus.com