Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Loss
1.
The act of losing; failure; destruction; privation;
as, the
loss
of property; loss
of money by gaming; loss
of health or reputation.Assured
loss
before the match be played. Shakespeare
2.
The state of losing or having lost; the privation, defect, misfortune, harm, etc., which ensues from losing.
Though thou repent, yet I have still the
loss
. Shak
3.
That which is lost or from which one has parted; waste; – opposed to
gain
or increase
; as, the
. loss
of liquor by leakage was considerable4.
The state of being lost or destroyed; especially, the wreck or foundering of a ship or other vessel.
5.
Failure to gain or win;
as,
. loss
of a race or battle6.
Failure to use advantageously;
as,
. loss
of time7.
(Mil.)
Killed, wounded, and captured persons, or captured property.
8.
(Insurance)
Destruction or diminution of value, if brought about in a manner provided for in the insurance contract (as destruction by fire or wreck, damage by water or smoke), or the death or injury of an insured person; also, the sum paid or payable therefor;
as, the
. losses
of the company this year amount to a million of dollars
Syn. – Privation; detriment; injury; damage.
Webster 1828 Edition
Loss
LOSS
, n.1.
privation, as the loss of property; loss of money by gaming; loss of health or reputation. every loss is not a detriment. we cannot regret the loss of bad company or of evil habits.2.
Destruction; ruin; as the loss of a ship at sea; the loss of an army.3.
Defeat; as the loss of a battle.4.
Waste; useless application; as a loss of time or labor.5.
Waste by leakage or escape; as a loss of liquors in transportation.To bear a loss, to make good; also, to sustain a loss without sinking under it.
To be at a loss, to be puzzled; to be unable to determine; to be in a state of uncertainty.
Definition 2025
loss
loss
English
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /lɒs/
- (General American) IPA(key): /lɔs/
- (cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA(key): /lɑs/
- Rhymes: -ɒs, -ɔːs
Noun
loss (countable and uncountable, plural losses)
- an instance of losing, such as a defeat
- The match ended in their first loss of the season.
- The result of an alteration in a function or characteristic of the body, or of its previous integrity.
- Loss of an arm ; loss of weight ; loss of cognitive functions ; loss of appetite.
- the hurtful condition of having lost something or someone, particularly in death.
- We mourn his loss.
- (in the plural) casualties, especially physically eliminated victims of violent conflict
- The battle was won, but losses were great.
- (financial) the sum an entity loses on balance
- The sum of expenditures and taxes minus total income is a loss, when this difference is positive.
- destruction, ruin
- It was a terrible crash: both cars were total losses
- (engineering) electricity of kinetic power expended without doing useful work
- The inefficiency of many old-fashioned power plants exceeds 60% loss before the subsequent losses during transport over the grid
Usage notes
- We often use make or take a loss. See Appendix:Collocations of do, have, make, and take
Antonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms
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Related terms
Translations
instance of losing
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The result of an alteration in a function or characteristic of the body
something lost
hurtful condition resulting from losing
casualties
financial: negative result on balance
engineering: power expended without doing useful work
Related terms
Etymology 2
Eye dialect spelling of lost, representing African American Vernacular English.
Verb
loss
- (colloquial) Alternative spelling of lost
Statistics
Most common English words before 1923: plan · pain · official · #940: loss · spot · wonderful · shook