Definition of “loss” - English Dictionary

American
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“loss” in English

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lossnoun

uk ​ /lɒs/ us ​ /lɑːs/

B2 [ C or U ] the fact that you no longer have something or have less of something:

Many parents feel a sense of loss when their children leave home.
He suffered a gradual loss of memory.
There will be substantial job losses if the factory closes down.
blood/hair/weight loss

C2 [ S ] a disadvantage caused by someone leaving or by something being taken away:

It would be a great loss to the department if you left.

B2 [ C or U ] the death of a person:

They never got over the loss of their son.

C1 [ C ] a situation in which a business spends more money than it earns:

The company announced a pre-tax loss of three million dollars.
loss of life

› an occasion when a number of people die:

The plane crashed with serious loss of life.

More examples

Thesaurus: synonyms and related words

Idiom(s)

be at a loss
one man's loss is another man's gain

(Definition of “loss” from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

“loss” in American English

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lossnoun [ C/U ]

us ​ /lɔs/

loss noun [ C/U ] (NOT HAVING)

› the action or state of not having or keeping something any more:

[ C ] The company’s losses over the last few years have been staggering.

› Loss may mean death:

[ U ] They never got over the loss of their son.

loss noun [ C/U ] (NOT CONTROLLING)

› the action or state of not maintaining or having control over something any more:

[ C ] He suffered a gradual loss of memory in his later years.

Idiom(s)

at a loss

(Definition of “loss” from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

“loss” in Business English

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lossnoun

uk ​ /lɒs/ us ​

› [ C or U ] a situation in which you no longer have something or have less of something, or the process that causes this:

The loss of jobs in the convenience food industry seems inevitable.
loss of earnings/income/pay She received compensation for loss of earnings through the illness.
a loss in sth The new road will cause losses in economic value to many local properties.

› [ C ] FINANCE, COMMERCE a situation in which a business or an organization spends more money than it earns, or loses money in another way:

announce/post/report a loss (of sth) The company announced a loss of €1.3m last year.
a loss in revenue
big/financial/heavy losses
a net/operating loss
a pre-tax/after-tax loss
incur/make/realize a loss In a bid to attract customers, some insurers may even be making a loss on contracts marketed to certain key buyers.
a loss on an investment/a sale

› [ C ] STOCK MARKET a situation in which the value of shares goes down:

a loss in sth Gains in oil and gas were partly offset by losses in consumer products and precious metals.

› [ U ] INSURANCE a situation in which property is damaged, lost, or stolen, and an insurance company must pay to replace it:

We will cover your house contents against accidental loss or damage during the removal.

› [ C ] a disadvantage caused by someone leaving an organization:

be a loss to sb/sth It would be a great loss to the department if you left.
loss of face

› a situation in which someone loses the respect of other people because of something they have done:

His first deal with the company had turned into a very public loss of face.
See also
lose

(Definition of “loss” from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Blogs about "loss"

I was so sorry to hear your news: Expressing sympathy

by Liz Walter,

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