retrenchment

[ ri-trench-muhnt ]
See synonyms for retrenchment on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of retrenching; a cutting down or off, as by the reduction of expenses.

  2. Fortification. an interior work that cuts off a part of a fortification from the rest, and to which a garrison may retreat.

Origin of retrenchment

1
From the French word retrenchement, dating back to 1590–1600. See retrench, -ment

Other words from retrenchment

  • non·re·trench·ment, noun

Words Nearby retrenchment

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use retrenchment in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for retrenchment

retrenchment

/ (rɪˈtrɛntʃmənt) /


noun
  1. the act of reducing expenditure in order to improve financial stability

  2. an extra interior fortification to reinforce outer walls

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012