retrench

/ri'trentʃ/

Friendly

Word: Retrench

Part of Speech: Verb

Definition: To retrench means to reduce something, especially in terms of spending, workforce, or resources. When a company retrenches, it often has to let go of some employees or cut back on expenses to save money.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "retrench" when talking about cutting down costs or reducing the number of workers in a company.
• It is often used in business contexts, but can also apply to personal finances.

Example:

• "Due to the economic crisis, the company had to retrench and lay off several employees."
• "To save money for the future, we decided to retrench our spending on luxury items."

Advanced Usage:

In a more advanced context, "retrench" can be used in discussions about corporate strategy or economic policy. For example: - "The government announced plans to retrench funding for non-essential services in order to manage the national budget."

Word Variants:

• Retrenchment (noun): The act of retrenching or reducing.
  • Example: "The retrenchment of staff led to a more focused and efficient team."
• Retrenched (adjective): Describing something that has been reduced or cut back.
  • Example: "The retrenched budget meant there were fewer resources for new projects."

Different Meanings:

• In general English, "retrench" can also mean to tighten one's belt or to use resources more carefully, not just in a corporate context.

Synonyms:

• Cut back
• Reduce
• Downsizing
• Economize
• Trim

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• Tighten one's belt: This idiom means to reduce spending or to live on a tighter budget.

  • Example: "After losing his job, he had to tighten his belt and cut out unnecessary expenses."

• Scale back: A phrasal verb meaning to reduce the size or scope of something, similar to retrench.

  • Example: "The organization needs to scale back its operations to stay financially viable."

Summary:

"Retrench" is a useful word for discussing reductions in spending or workforce.

Academic

Verb

1. make a reduction, as in one's workforce
   • The company had to retrench
2. tighten one's belt; use resources carefully