: a deliberate reduction in the book value of an asset (as to reflect the effect of obsolescence)
wrote down; written down; writing down; writes down
1
: to record in written form
2
a
: to depreciate, disparage, or injure by writing
b
: to reduce in status, rank, or value
especially
: to reduce the book value of
: to write so as to appeal to a lower level of taste, comprehension, or intelligence
Synonyms
Examples of write-down in a Sentence
Verb
a company forced to write down its assets
write down what you remember about that day
Recent Examples on the Web
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024
The wine-and-spirits segment, on the other hand, saw double-digit sales declines, and Constellation booked a steep write-down in the value of that unit’s assets in the quarter.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2024
Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
The teaser clip ends before revealing what the YouTube star wrote down, which would ultimately decide the contestant's fate in the game.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for write-down 
Noun
Warner Brothers Discovery also took a $9 billion write-down on its TV networks, and Uber faced a $500 million charge this year that won’t be a hindrance next year, the analysts argued.
—Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024
The wine-and-spirits segment, on the other hand, saw double-digit sales declines, and Constellation booked a steep write-down in the value of that unit’s assets in the quarter.
—Paulina Likos, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2024
Verb
Think about or write down your answers to the following questions that will help guide you in creating one.
—Nell Derick Debevoise, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
The teaser clip ends before revealing what the YouTube star wrote down, which would ultimately decide the contestant's fate in the game.
—Skyler Caruso, People.com, 22 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for write-down
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Dictionary Entries Near write-down
Cite this Entry
“Write-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-down. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
write down
transitive verb
wrote down; written down; writing down
: to reduce the book value of (an asset)
write down accounts receivable
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