shrinkage

American  

[shring-kij] / ˈʃrɪŋ kɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or fact of shrinking.

2. the amount or degree of shrinking.

3. reduction or depreciation in quantity, value, etc.

4. contraction of a fabric in finishing or washing.

5. the difference between the original weight of livestock and that after it has been prepared for marketing.

6. Commerce. loss of merchandise through breakage, pilferage, shoplifting, etc.

---

shrinkage British  

/ ˈʃrɪŋkɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or fact of shrinking

2. the amount by which anything decreases in size, value, weight, etc

3. the loss in body weight during shipment and preparation of livestock for marketing as meat

4. the loss of merchandise in a retail store through theft or damage

---

Etymology

Origin of shrinkage

First recorded in 1790–1800; shrink + -age

Explanation

When something becomes smaller than it was before, that's shrinkage. You can see shrinkage in action when you accidentally put your favorite wool sweater in the dryer! The process of shrinking, or the amount that something has shrunk, is shrinkage. You might notice the shrinkage of your hand-knit socks when you try to put them on your feet, or read about the shrinkage of the polar ice caps in school. Another meaning of this word is "loss of inventory due to theft or shoplifting." A store's shrinkage rate sometimes improves after they install security cameras.

Example Sentences

Shrinkage for total retail sales in 2022 reached $112.1 billion, up from $93.9 billion in losses in 2021, according to a study released Tuesday by trade group National Retail Federation.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 29, 2023

Shrinkage can also be attributed to product damage, theft or loss of goods by employees or vendor fraud.

From New York Times • Jan. 6, 2023

Shrinkage of mainstream journalists' jobs in the past 10 years: 27% to 33%.

From The Guardian • Oct. 9, 2010

Laxalt also discovered the Shrinkage Phenomenon, a mysterious effect that diminishes prospects' stature as soon as they enter the race.

From Time Magazine Archive

Shrinkage of values necessarily affects our capacity to provide the Government with the sinews of war.

From Right Above Race by Kahn, Otto Hermann

Related Words

• contraction
• depreciation
• diminution
• reduction
• shrinking