spoilage

American  

[spoi-lij] / ˈspɔɪ lɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act of spoiling or the state of being spoiled.

2. material or the amount of material that is spoiled or wasted.

   The spoilage in today's shipment is much too great.

3. the decay of foodstuffs due to the action of bacteria; rotting.

   He was concerned about the spoilage of fruit on the way to market.

---

spoilage British  

/ ˈspɔɪlɪdʒ /

noun

1. the act or an instance of spoiling or the state or condition of being spoilt

2. an amount of material that has been wasted by being spoilt

   the spoilage of corn was considerable

---

Etymology

Origin of spoilage

First recorded in 1590–1600; spoil + -age

Example Sentences

Moore said the facility has remained at 45 degrees, which mitigates the risk of it becoming a biohazard due to food spoilage.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

But once harvested, mangoes continue to ripen quickly, making them highly vulnerable to softening, moisture loss, and spoilage during storage and transport.

From Science Daily • May 23, 2026

Before electric refrigeration, households relied on iceboxes, which required frequent deliveries of heavy blocks of ice, constant draining of meltwater and careful food planning to avoid spoilage.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Meanwhile, your executor could work with the landlord to arrange access to care for pets or plants, empty the fridge to prevent food spoilage, and so forth.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

This year, the strange, lingering winter, combined with the unexpected spoilage of much of the Kingdom’s food stores, had led to growing panic among the people.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo