curtailment

noun

cur·​tail·​ment (ˌ)kər-ˈtāl-mənt How to pronounce curtailment (audio)
: the act of curtailing : the state of being curtailed

Examples of curtailment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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The study explores the ability to add significantly more load, or demand, to the grid by implementing curtailment of those new loads (read: high power users like data centers). Greg Robinson, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025 Trump had repeatedly hinted that a future peace deal would include Ukrainian territorial and political concessions and be twinned with the curtailment of U.S. aid to Kyiv. David Brennan, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2025 In March, grid operators in California shut down 80 gigawatt-hours of the state’s renewable power because the grid couldn’t handle the afternoon solar surge; without more capacity to store power, even larger curtailments will occur. David G. Victor, Foreign Affairs, 13 June 2017 According to the National Grid ESO, curtailment of wind power alone cost British consumers over £800 million in 2023, as renewable generators were paid to shut down during periods of oversupply, with the tab being picked up by households. Susie Violet Ward, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for curtailment

Word History

First Known Use

1794, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of curtailment was in 1794

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Cite this Entry

“Curtailment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curtailment. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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