Curtailed
/kərˈteɪld/
Definitions
To reduce or diminish something; to shorten; to cut short.
/kərˈteɪld/
To reduce or limit something
Due to budget cuts, the library had to curtail its operating hours.
💡 Simply: Imagine you have a super long movie, and you only have time to watch half. Curtailing is like deciding to stop watching it halfway, making it shorter. You're cutting it down!
👶 For kids: Making something smaller or shorter, like when you cut your hair or stop playing a game early.
More Examples
The teacher curtailed the student's disruptive behavior.
The new regulations curtailed the company's profits.
How It's Used
"The company curtailed its spending to avoid bankruptcy."
"The government curtailed certain freedoms during the crisis."
"The judge curtailed the lawyer's argument due to irrelevance."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From Old French *courtaultier* (to shorten, curtail), from *court* (short) and the suffix *-aultier*.
The word 'curtail' has been used since the 14th century, initially in the context of shortening a horse's tail, but later in a broader sense of reducing or limiting anything.
Memory tip
Think of a 'tail' – to curtail something is like cutting its tail short.
Word Origin
"to shorten"