retrench

Meaning

1. (transitive) To cut down or reduce.
2. (specifically, transitive) To cut down or reduce.
3. (transitive) To confine; to limit; to restrict.
4. (transitive) To furnish with a retrenchment (a defensive work within a fortification).
5. (intransitive) To abridge; to curtail.
6. (intransitive) To take up a new defensive position.
7. (intransitive) To live less expensively; to economize.

Synonyms

reduce

curtail

remove

cut

shorten

trim

economize

cut back

contract

dismiss

discharge

fire

🔥

diminish

expel

sack

decrease

oust

take away

cut off

cut down

abridge

pare

lessen

crop

delay

count down

chase away

defer

deduct

mitigate

decline

conserve

carve

adjourn

cut out

lay off

condensation

fix

favour

compression

austerity

jab

favor

extenuate

limit

lop

lower

make smaller

cut away

edit out

Translations

cercenar

einschränken

azaltmak

réduire

restreindre

ridurre

ridurre le spese

entlassen

verabschieden

exen

aus dem Dienst entlassen

abdanken

diminuire

abnehmen

aus dem Dienst entfernen

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹɪˈtɹɛnt͡ʃ/

Etymology

Cognate with French: retrancher

Cognate with French: trancher

Cognate with English: trench

In summary

From Old French retranchier (“to get rid of, remove”) (modern French retrancher (“to cut out, take away; to cut off; to cut down”)), from re- (“again”) + tranchier, trenchier (“to cut”) (modern French trancher (“to slice”)); further etymology uncertain, but possibly either from Vulgar Latin *trinicāre (“cut in three parts”) (from the root trini from trēs (“three”), based on the model of duplicāre (“to double by dividing, split in two, tear”)), or from an alteration of Latin truncāre (“to maim by cutting off pieces; to truncate”), also possibly influenced by Gaulish *trincare (“to cut (the head)”). Compare English trench.