curtail
1 Americanverb (used with object)
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curtails,
present (3rd person singular)
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curtailed,
past participle, past
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curtailing
present participle
noun
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a horizontal, spiral termination to the lower end of a stair railing.
-
Also called curtail step. a starting step having a scroll termination to one or both ends of the tread.
verb
Synonym Usage
See shorten.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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curtailsimple
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curtailssimple
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have curtailedperfect
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has curtailedperfect
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am curtailingprogressive
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are curtailingprogressive
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is curtailingprogressive
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have been curtailingperfect progressive
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has been curtailingperfect progressive
Past
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curtailedsimple
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had curtailedperfect
-
was curtailingprogressive
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were curtailingprogressive
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had been curtailingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of curtail1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English curtailen “to restrict” (said of royal succession or inheritance), probably a conflation of Middle French courtau(l)d ( see curtal) and Middle English taillen “to cut” ( see taille, tailor 1)
Origin of curtail2
Probably alteration, by folk etymology, of curtal
Explanation
To curtail something is to slow it down, put restrictions on it, or stop it entirely. If I give up cake, I am curtailing my cake-eating. Curtail is an official-sounding word for stopping or slowing things down. The police try to curtail crime — they want there to be less crime in the world. A company may want to curtail their employees' computer time, so they spend more time working and less time goofing around. Teachers try to curtail whispering and note-passing in class. When something is curtailed, it's either stopped entirely or stopped quite a bit — it's cut short.
Vocabulary lists containing curtail
100 SAT words Beginning with "C"
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30 GRE Words Beginning with "B" & "C"
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This Week in Words: Feb. 25 - Mar. 2, 2018
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That move may encourage older adults to actually seek out Medicare Advantage to curtail their healthcare costs, analysts said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Religious leaders, scholars, advocates, parents, professionals and policymakers can curtail abuses and promote human dignity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Kieran Tierney is a terrific footballer but injuries curtail his influence.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Johnson said the bill was meant to curtail malicious records requests, which do happen, where a citizen goes after copious amounts of records just to be a jerk and cost the government time and money.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
It will broaden his experience in some ways, but it will also curtail his contact with clients.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
“We must also be very clear that any response to these abhorrent attacks that curtails our civil liberties would be wrong,” said Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
But Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said it would be wrong if Wednesday's "abhorrent" attack "curtails our civil liberties".
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
This hits the economy in two ways: boosting inflation and dampening disposable income which curtails growth.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 2, 2026
A wider or protracted conflict in the Middle East that curtails oil flow is certainly a risk.
From Barron's ● Mar. 4, 2026
This is a serious drawback, as it curtails the freedom of decision, to which a player should be entitled in any game.
From Chess and Checkers : the Way to Mastership by Edward Lasker
But so, too, was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which sharply curtailed the Democratic nominating fight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
In his first appearance before the Senate Appropriations Committee since hostilities between the US and Iran restarted, Hegseth said that military training would have to be curtailed unless lawmakers approved an urgent funding boost.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Others, including Devon Energy and APA, curtailed output.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
It severely curtailed the ability of a president to quickly remove Federal Reserve officials, and thereby exert its influence over monetary policy, and reinforced the deference due to the independence of the central bank.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
From that moment on, Farmer curtailed his travel within the country.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
Dealmaking by private-equity firms that private-credit funds lend to has slowed down, curtailing the number of lucrative new loans to be made.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
The canal is the third waterway to be subjected to conditions that are curtailing global shipping.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
MLS’s developmental programs are too restrictive and exclusive — they’re not developing more soccer players, they’re curtailing who can play.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
One cloud on the horizon is the possible impact of rising fuel costs, which could end up curtailing Europeans' foreign travel.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
Poor child, she was bewildered by the many injunctions we laid upon her, and the curtailing of her freedom tried her sorely, though not a word of complaint came from her.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
