DOWNSIZE Definition & Meaning

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downsize

[ doun-sahyz ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used with object)

downsized, downsizing.

to design or manufacture a smaller version or type of:
The automotive industry downsized its cars for improved fuel economy.
to reduce in size or number; cut back:
Many small businesses are forced to downsize their workforce during a slow economy.
to dismiss (an employee); lay off or fire:
After I was downsized from my marketing position, I took to substitute teaching to make a little money.

verb (used without object)

to become smaller in size or number:
The military is downsizing— reducing overseas deployments—and as a result is spending less on supplies.
to move into a smaller residence:
Retirees are downsizing these days, giving up oversized and empty nests for apartments that are easier to care for.

adjective

Also downsized. being of a smaller size or version:
a downsize car.

downsize

/ ˈ�岹ʊ��ˌ��ɪ�� /

verb

to reduce the operating costs of a company by reducing the number of people it employs
to reduce the size of or produce a smaller version of (something)
to upgrade (a computer system) by replacing a mainframe or minicomputer with a network of microcomputers Compare rightsize

downsize

To reduce in number, especially personnel: “The company decided to downsize half the workers in the aircraft division.” It can also be used in reference to objects: “I decided to downsize my wardrobe and threw out all my old T-shirts.”

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Notes

Downsize is a recent euphemism for “fire, lay off.” Company managers often use this term in an attempt to soften the blow of wide-scale layoffs.

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of downsize¹

An Americanism dating back to 1970–75; down ¹ + size ¹

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

While the Trump administration has said many of these cuts are intended to reduce federal spending and downsize the federal workforce, many researchers say it is interrupting scientific research.

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So many women lost their jobs during the pandemic, and so many companies downsized, and many people had to pivot and find a new direction to go.

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"Both sides are, for different reasons, overstating the importance of downsizing or abolishing the department, and neither side is paying as much attention to the stuff that would really fundamentally change federal education," he added.

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McMahon said the downsizing showed a "commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers."

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Trade Representative is notable because the company’s chief executive, Musk, is a close Trump ally and leads efforts by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency to downsize the federal government.

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