wastage
wastage — noun
1. how much of something is lost or thrown away instead of being put to use
how much of something is lost or thrown away instead of being put to use
Mizuki checked the kitchen bin and was shocked by the food wastage from one weekend.
collocation: food wastage
The factory reduced material wastage by fifteen percent after changing its cutting method.
collocation: material wastage + percentage
Water wastage in the old hotel was so bad that the manager called a plumber.
Piotr calculated the wastage of paper across all twelve offices and proposed digital forms.
Most of the fuel wastage happened during the long wait at the border checkpoint.
- conservation
the act of keeping resources from being wasted
- saving
preventing loss, especially of money or energy
文法句型
wastage of + noun
用法筆記
Frequently followed by an of-phrase naming the resource that was lost. Common in business, manufacturing, and environmental writing.
常見錯誤
2. the gradual shrinking of a workforce when employees leave or retire and new peop
the gradual shrinking of a workforce when employees leave or retire and new people are not hired to replace them
The council relied on natural wastage rather than making anyone redundant.
phrase: natural wastage
Zola's department shrank through wastage after three senior staff retired and were not replaced.
collocation: through wastage
The hospital hoped that wastage would reduce the payroll without formal job cuts.
Over five years, wastage brought the team from twenty people down to just eleven.
The new manager froze all hiring and let wastage slowly trim the workforce.
- recruitment
the active process of hiring new staff
- expansion
growing the workforce rather than letting it shrink
文法句型
natural wastage
用法筆記
Almost always used in the phrase 'natural wastage.' A UK term; in US English, 'attrition' is the more common equivalent.
常見錯誤
3. the number of students who leave a course or training programme before reaching
the number of students who leave a course or training programme before reaching the end
Samir worried about wastage in his evening class when four students never came back.
collocation: wastage in + course type
The nursing course had low wastage because the tutors gave strong support.
collocation: low wastage
Gabriel tracked the wastage rate among first-year apprentices across the region.
The training centre cut its wastage by assigning a mentor to every new learner.
High wastage in the language programme led the school to redesign the first term.
- dropout rate
more informal and widely used; wastage is the formal term in institutional reports
- attrition
used in both education and employment; wastage in education is more UK-specific
- non-completion
a neutral administrative term; wastage carries a slightly negative tone
- retention
keeping students enrolled through to completion
- completion rate
the proportion who finish the course
文法句型
wastage rate
high/low + wastage
用法筆記
Common in UK educational and training settings. Often paired with 'rate' (wastage rate) or modified by 'high' and 'low.' Distinguish from sense 2: here people leave a course; in sense 2 they leave a job.
常見錯誤
4. the gradual process by which things are lost, destroyed, or used up through norm
the gradual process by which things are lost, destroyed, or used up through normal wear, decay, or careless handling
Lakan noticed wastage of grain in the storehouse after rats chewed through the sacks.
grammar: wastage of + substance
Heat caused slow wastage of the medicine; the clinic moved it to cold storage.
collocation: slow wastage
The wastage of topsoil on the hillside grew worse after every heavy rain.
Rafael blamed the wastage of tools on workers leaving equipment out in the rain.
- deterioration
focuses on decline in quality; wastage includes outright loss of the thing itself
- erosion
specifically of land, soil, or rock worn away by natural forces
- depletion
emphasises using up a finite supply; wastage stresses the careless or unavoidable side of the loss
- preservation
keeping something intact and protected from loss or decay
- conservation
careful management to prevent wasteful loss
文法句型
wastage of + noun
用法筆記
Describes a gradual, ongoing process rather than a single event. The cause is typically a natural force (heat, rain, decay) or passive neglect rather than one deliberate act.