Dictionary.com

shrinkage

[ shring-kij ]
/ ˈʃrɪŋ kɪdʒ /
Save This Word!

noun
the act or fact of shrinking.
the amount or degree of shrinking.
reduction or depreciation in quantity, value, etc.
contraction of a fabric in finishing or washing.
the difference between the original weight of livestock and that after it has been prepared for marketing.
Commerce. loss of merchandise through breakage, pilferage, shoplifting, etc.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of shrinkage

First recorded in 1790–1800; shrink + -age
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use shrinkage in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for shrinkage

shrinkage
/ (ˈʃrɪŋkɪdʒ) /

noun
the act or fact of shrinking
the amount by which anything decreases in size, value, weight, etc
the loss in body weight during shipment and preparation of livestock for marketing as meat
the loss of merchandise in a retail store through theft or damage
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
FEEDBACK