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

• abatement
• decline
• decrease
• decrement
• dent
• depletion
• depression
• diminishment
• diminution
• drop
• drop-off
• fall
• falloff
• loss
• reduction
• step-down

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

Brooklinen sheets are long-lasting due to their fabric strength, next to no shrinkage and a deluxe look and feel. Give your recipient the gift of an upscale sleep experience every night with Brooklinen sheets. —Gabriele Regalbuto, Fox News, 6 Dec. 2024

Summary Regular daytime napping might help slow down the aging process from natural brain shrinkage. —Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 4 Dec. 2024

The University of Melbourne’s Nikolas Willmott and colleagues recently used micro-CT scans to spot brain shrinkage when the spiders were exposed to light at night. —Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 Oct. 2024

Sudden weight loss can rapidly reduce facial fat, leading to changes such as skin shrinkage, sagging, and decreased elasticity. —Bruce Gil, Quartz, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

shrinkage

noun

shrink·​age ˈshriŋ-kij 

: the amount by which something shrinks or becomes less