wastage

[wey-stij]

noun

1. loss by use, wear, decay, etc.

2. loss or losses as the result of wastefulness.

   The annual wastage of time due to illness is appalling.

3. the action or process of wasting: waste.

   the steady wastage of erosion.

4. something that is wasted; waste; waste or waste materials.

   The river was befouled by factory wastage.

wastage

/ ˈweɪstɪdʒ /

noun

1. anything lost by wear or waste

2. the process of wasting

3. reduction in size of a workforce by retirement, voluntary resignation, etc (esp in the phrase natural wastage )

Usage

Waste and wastage are to some extent interchangeable, but many people think that wastage should not be used to refer to loss resulting from human carelessness, inefficiency, etc: a waste (not a wastage ) of time/money/effort etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of wastage¹

First recorded in 1750–60; waste + -age

Example Sentences

He said there were costs from managing the impact, including more IT staffing, and increased food wastage as the firm switched to manual processing during the cyber attack.

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Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency has told McDonald's it must improve its sales strategy and take steps to improve food wastage.

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Once regarded as a by-product in cheese-making, whey protein has become increasingly popular for use in smoothies, food and for people using injectable weight loss medications to prevent muscle wastage.

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"Every resource I bring on and every bit of wastage I take off," Ms Hargrave said.

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The March for Clean Water was advertised as a "one-off" event to petition the government to enforce laws that tackle water pollution and ensure "all polluting industries" upgrade infrastructure and reduce water wastage.

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Related Words

• diffusion