curtailment

American  

[ker-teyl-muhnt] / kərˈteɪl mənt /

noun

1. the act of cutting something short or cutting it back; reduction.

   Constant curtailment of postal service has inconvenienced every citizen.

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Other Word Forms

• noncurtailment noun

Etymology

Origin of curtailment

curtail + -ment ( def. )

Explanation

A curtailment is an ending or restriction. The curtailment of your allowance means you'll have to get a job if you want to keep buying new video games. The noun curtailment is a somewhat formal way to say "limitation." It comes from the Old French court, "short," and a root meaning "to cut." You can think of a curtailment as cutting something short, whether it's the curtailment of your bike riding once the temperature drops in the fall, or the curtailment of your driving privileges after you get into a fender-bender.

Example Sentences

“The curtailment of First Amendment rights is dangerous at any time, and even more so in a time of war,” Friedman wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Still, Chambriard said, the curtailment of prolific oilfields lining the Persian Gulf raises the prospect of extended supply issues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026

The officially reported curtailment rate for late 2024 was 3.2%.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 21, 2026

Mr Paddick says he has seen "a curtailment of charitable giving".

From BBC • Nov. 26, 2025

He was in the wrong key and he came out two or three syllables behind on most of the lines, but undismayed by the sudden curtailment went boldly ahead on the next.

From The Story of a Doctor's Telephone?Told by His Wife by Firebaugh, Ellen M.