truncated

American  

[truhng-key-tid] / ˈtrʌŋ keɪ tɪd /

adjective

1. shortened by or as if by having a part cut off; cut short.

   an unnecessarily truncated essay.

2. (of a geometric figure or solid) having the apex, vertex, or end cut off by a plane.

   a truncated cone or pyramid.

3. Crystallography. (of a crystal) having corners, angles, or edges cut off or replaced by a single plane.

4. Biology. truncate.

5. Prosody. (of a line of verse) lacking at the beginning or end one or more unstressed syllables needed to fill out the metrical pattern.

---

truncated British  

/ trʌŋˈkeɪtɪd /

adjective

1. maths (of a cone, pyramid, prism, etc) having an apex or end removed by a plane intersection that is usually nonparallel to the base

2. (of a crystal) having edges or corners cut off

3. shortened by or as if by cutting off; truncate

---

Usage

What does truncated mean? Truncated means shortened, as if having had a portion cut off. The verb truncate means to shorten something in this way. As an adjective, truncated can be used in several specialized ways, all of which describe things that have been shortened or seem like they’ve been shortened or cut off. In geometry, it’s used to describe a shape that has had one of its parts or corners cut off. In crystallography, it’s used to describe a crystal whose corners, angles, or edges are cut off. In biology, it’s used to describe a part of an organism, such as the leaf of a plant, that looks like it has been cut off at the tip. In poetry, it’s used to describe a line that has fewer syllables that the meter (the rhythm of the line) suggests it should. Still, truncated is most commonly used in a general way. A more common and less formal synonym is shortened. Example: Most people have only ever seen the truncated version of the film, but they’re planning to release the full version soon.

Other Word Forms

• subtruncated adjective

Etymology

Origin of truncated

First recorded in 1480–90; truncate + -ed ²

Explanation

Truncated is an adjective that means "cut short," like a truncated picnic, caused by the sudden downpour. The word comes from the root truncate, which is of Latin origin, and means "cut off." When an object is truncated, its end or point is cut off, like a truncated arrow that is safe for kids to play with. Truncated can also refer to something that ends earlier than planned — everyone was angry at the truncated concert until they learned that the singer had broken his leg when he fell on stage.

Example Sentences

"We think whether or not a protein exists primarily in its elongated or in its truncated form might form a regulatory cue for the cell."

From Science Daily • Feb. 28, 2026

Richardson also said: "It should not have been done, it was not requested, it is unclear why it did happen, but as a result of that, the imprint was truncated off the bottom."

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

Still, truncated as this history may be, these galleries highlight a strength other museums lack—and are racing to catch up with.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 17, 2026

Research spearheaded in the mid-1980s helped determine that a truncated form of GLP-1 spurred insulin release, setting off a two-decade journey to turn the hormone into an effective diabetes treatment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 29, 2025

New World societies had just begun making bronze artifacts and had not yet started making iron ones at the time when the arrival of Europeans truncated the New World’s independent trajectory.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• deficient
• limited
• rare
• scant
• scanty
• sparse
• sporadic