The Complete Vocabulary Builder Workbook by BETTER WORDS R. B. Skinner

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downsize

verb

/ˈdaʊnˌsaɪz/

IPA:

Dictionary definition of downsize

To reduce the size, scale, or scope of something, typically an organization, a business, or a workforce.
"The company decided to downsize its workforce due to financial constraints."

Detailed meaning of downsize

When a company downsizes, it aims to decrease its operational costs, streamline its operations, or adapt to changing market conditions. This often involves eliminating jobs, reducing the number of employees, or cutting back on resources, such as office space or production capacity. Downsizing may also involve restructuring or reorganizing the company's departments or functions to make it more efficient and agile. The primary goal of downsizing is usually to improve financial stability, increase profitability, or maintain competitiveness in a challenging business environment. However, downsizing can have significant impacts on employees and communities, leading to job losses, morale issues, and economic consequences.

Example sentences containing downsize

1. The restaurant had to downsize its menu to focus on its most popular dishes.
2. After the merger, the two companies decided to downsize their combined workforce.
3. The manufacturing plant had to downsize production due to a decrease in demand.
4. The organization plans to downsize its office space to cut down on rental expenses.
5. The airline announced its decision to downsize its fleet by retiring older aircraft.
6. The retail chain had to downsize several of its underperforming stores.

History and etymology of downsize

The verb 'downsize' is a relatively recent addition to the English language, emerging in the latter half of the 20th century in response to changes in the business and economic landscape. It is a compound word, combining 'down' and 'size.' 'Down,' in this context, signifies a decrease or reduction, while 'size' refers to the dimensions or scale of something. Therefore, the etymology of 'downsize' quite literally conveys the concept of reducing the size, scale, or scope of something, typically an organization, a business, or a workforce. This term gained prominence during periods of economic restructuring and has since become a standard term for describing the process of streamlining or making an entity smaller or more efficient, often involving staff layoffs or the elimination of excess resources.

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Further usage examples of downsize

1. The company's CEO made the difficult decision to downsize the executive team.
2. In order to stay afloat, the startup had to downsize its operations and pivot its business model.
3. The government agency is considering a proposal to downsize its bureaucratic structure.
4. The university faced budget cuts and had to downsize certain academic departments.
5. To survive the economic downturn, the company had no choice but to downsize its operations and lay off a significant number of employees.
6. The company had to downsize due to financial difficulties.
7. They decided to downsize the project to save time and resources.
8. Many businesses downsize during economic downturns.
9. Our team needs to downsize to improve efficiency.
10. Downsizing can be a tough decision for any organization.
11. The manager had to downsize the staff to cut costs.
12. Downsizing the workforce is never an easy task.
13. They had to downsize their operations to stay afloat.
14. Downsizing can lead to increased productivity in some cases.
15. The company had no choice but to downsize its branches.
16. Downsizing the production line reduced waste significantly.
17. We must downsize the project scope to meet the deadline.
18. The decision to downsize the company was met with resistance.
19. Downsizing the budget allowed for more strategic investments.
20. The company's decision to downsize surprised everyone.
21. Downsizing the office space saved us a lot of money.
22. It's essential to downsize when growth becomes unsustainable.
23. Downsizing can help streamline operations and boost profits.
24. The CEO announced plans to downsize the organization.
25. They had to downsize their product line to focus on core offerings.