Losses

ˈlɒsɪz

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonBusiness
2 meanings3 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The state of being without something, especially as a result of death, theft, or misplacement.

ˈlɒsɪz

nounnegativeBeginner
Business

The fact or process of losing something or the state of having lost something.

The company had to report losses this quarter.

💡 Simply: Imagine you have your favorite toy, and it disappears! That feeling of not having it anymore, that's a loss. Businesses can have losses too, like when they don't make as much money as they spend.

👶 For kids: When you lose something, like your toy or a game, that's a loss.

More Examples

2

The losses in the war were devastating.

3

The emotional loss of a loved one can be very difficult.

How It's Used

Business

"The company reported significant financial losses."

Sports

"The team suffered two consecutive losses this season."

Personal

"The family mourned the loss of their pet."

2

The reduction in value, or the failure to generate the expected income or profit.

ˈlɒsɪz

nounnegativemedium
Business

An amount of money lost in business or financial transactions.

The company tried to recover its financial losses.

💡 Simply: Imagine you're running a lemonade stand, and you spend more on lemons and sugar than you make from selling lemonade. That extra money spent, not earned? That's a financial loss.

👶 For kids: When you spend more money than you make, that is a loss.

More Examples

2

Stock market losses can affect a person's retirement plans.

3

The business reported losses of millions of dollars.

How It's Used

Finance

"Investors incurred substantial losses in the stock market crash."

Business

"The business's losses mounted due to poor sales."

Tip:Think of money going out rather than coming in. It's a decrease in value or a missed opportunity for profit.

From Middle English los, loss, from Old English los (destruction, damage). Related to the verb 'lose'.

Used since Old English times, the word 'loss' was initially associated with destruction or damage.

Memory tip

Think of the opposite of a gain; losses involve something being taken away or disappearing.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"damage, destruction"

financial lossessignificant lossessevere lossesmourn losses

Common misspellings

losesslossez

Usage

60%Spoken
40%Written