ScienceJuly 14, 2026
retrenchment
/rɪˈtrɛntʃmənt/
Definition
The act of reducing expenses or cutting back on spending, particularly in a budget or administrative context.
Etymology
Derived from the Middle French 'retrencher,' meaning to cut off or curtail, which was formed from the prefix 're-' and 'trencher' (to cut). The term entered English in the 16th century, originally relating to military fortifications before broadening to refer to financial cutbacks.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe potential federal budget cuts to space science programs, explaining that private philanthropic funding becomes more important when the government reduces its financial support.
10 Philanthropic Funders Powering Space Science
Read the full article ↗Inside Philanthropy