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Definition of curtail

curtail

/kɜːrˈteɪl/
cur · tail
Past Simple:curtailed
•
Past Participle:curtailed
•
Present Participle:curtailing
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curtail Lexical Profile

curtail Game Scores & Validity

• verb

1

To reduce in extent or quantity; to impose a restriction on or cut short.

Example

"The university had to curtail its research budget due to unexpected funding cuts."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for curtail
Antonyms
View all antonyms for curtail

• Rhymes for curtail

• Nearby Words

cursorily
cursory
curt
curtail
curtailment
curtain
curtaining

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed in the late 15th century as the adjective 'curtal' (meaning a horse with a docked tail), from Middle French 'courtault', derived from Old French 'court' and Latin 'curtus' ('short'). The modern spelling and pronunciation were altered in the 16th century by folk-etymological association with the English word 'tail'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Curtail. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/curtail
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