retrenchment
Americannoun
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the act of retrenching; a cutting down or off, as by the reduction of expenses.
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Fortification. an interior work that cuts off a part of a fortification from the rest, and to which a garrison may retreat.
noun
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the act of reducing expenditure in order to improve financial stability
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an extra interior fortification to reinforce outer walls
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of retrenchment
From the French word retrenchement, dating back to 1590–1600. See retrench, -ment
Explanation
In politics or business, retrenchment is the process of saving money by cutting expenses. Retrenchment nearly always involves laying off workers. Retrenchment is basically a formal way of saying "layoffs" or "downsizing." If a company undergoes retrenchment, it's usually in a bad financial situation and must find ways to spend less money. Eliminating jobs is one common way to do this. As a political concept, retrenchment can mean cutting a variety of public expenses during economic downturns. An older meaning of the word was "pruning or lopping off," from the French retrenchement, "a cutting off."
Vocabulary lists containing retrenchment
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.
But on a grand scale, expect a period of retrenchment as companies reassess which targets are worth pursuing and which patients are most likely to benefit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
The move is a retrenchment from the social video company’s expansion into Nashville in 2024 and comes as many tech companies are reevaluating their workforce amid the growth of artificial intelligence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
“I think we’ll see some type of retrenchment, and then there’ll be continued upside based on the fundamentals and the fact that there’s so much capex being deployed,” Patti said.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
India's IT services sector - the country's largest graduate employer with eight million workers - is in active retrenchment.
From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026
I have not spent my time studying the problem of “race”—“race” itself is just a restatement and retrenchment of the problem.
From "Between the World and Me" by Ta-Nehisi Coates
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