retrenchment

noun

re·​trench·​ment ri-ˈtrench-mənt How to pronounce retrenchment (audio)
: reduction, curtailment
specifically : a cutting of expenses

Examples of retrenchment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In an age of globalisation (albeit one in apparent retrenchment), styles that once developed in isolation have now largely converged. James Horncastle, New York Times, 15 May 2025 Foreign production incentives have hobbled Los Angeles’ production economy, which has been ailing after COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns, labor strikes and a retrenchment by traditional entertainment companies after losing billions of dollars on streaming services to compete with Netflix. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025 Nor can military force alone prevent Iranian retrenchment. Dana Stroul, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2025 But attendance dwindled in recent decades, and St. Peter was part of an extensive retrenchment by the Hartford Archdiocese, being merged with two other parishes into the Divine Providence parish in 2017. Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for retrenchment

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retrenchment was circa 1600

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Cite this Entry

“Retrenchment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retrenchment. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

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