downsize
downsize Lexical Profile
downsize Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To reduce the number of employees in a company or organization in order to cut costs and improve efficiency.
"The manufacturing firm had to downsize its regional operations after a sharp decline in quarterly revenue."
To move to a smaller residence or replace a possession, such as a vehicle, with a smaller and more economical version.
"After their children graduated from college and moved out, the couple decided to downsize to a two-bedroom apartment."
To design or manufacture something in a smaller physical size or capacity.
"Automakers began to downsize their engines to meet stricter environmental emissions standards."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 1970s in the American automotive industry to describe the production of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, the term was later adopted in the 1980s as a corporate euphemism for reducing a company's workforce.