truncation

American  

[truhng-key-shuhn] / trʌŋˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or process of truncating.

2. the quality or state of being truncated.

3. Prosody. the omission of one or more unaccented syllables at the beginning or the end of a line of verse.

4. Banking. a system of electronic check recording under which canceled checks are not returned to customers by the bank.

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Usage

What does truncation mean? Truncation is the act or process of truncating—shortening something by removing part of it. It can also mean the state of having been truncated. Truncation can involve the removal of the beginning of something, the end of it, the top of it, or another part of it. In scientific and medical contexts, truncation often involves cutting off a part of something in a way that’s parallel to its base (or perpendicular to its side). In the context of math, to truncate is to shorten a number by dropping some of the digits after the decimal place. For example, 1. 356 can be truncated to 1. 3. (This is different from rounding, in which the last one or two digits are adjusted in a specified way in order to reflect the magnitude of the original number.)In poetry, truncation refers to the practice of leaving out syllables at the beginning or end of a line. In banking, truncation is used in a more specific way to refer to a simplified system of electronic check recording in which canceled checks are not returned to customers by the bank. Example: Unfortunately, the poor weather has resulted in the truncation of the season.

Other Word Forms

• subtruncation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of truncation

1570–80; < Late Latin truncātiōn- (stem of truncātiō ), equivalent to Latin truncātus ( see truncate) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

The main reason for the truncation of a series is that it is not possible to be fitted in because of the need for three days of rest between matches.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2025

So I don’t know what any particular day’s official, chronological lineup was, but Thompson and his editor, Joshua L. Pearson, have done some mighty hefty truncation.

From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2021

Often motion is implied by the truncation of the image — analogous to the haphazard ways the photograph crops the world — such that legs aren’t seen, though their activity is felt.

From Washington Post • Nov. 11, 2019

Even if it’s not a printer’s error or a truncation, fat might not mean what we think it means.

From Slate • Sep. 20, 2015

Truncature: the truncation or point squarely cut off.

From Explanation of Terms Used in Entomology by Smith, John. B.