# loss

Pronunciation: US say "LAWS" /lɔs/; UK say "LOS" /lɒs/

## Noun

1. The fact of no longer having something, or of having less of it, because it has been taken away, destroyed, used up, or mislaid.
   - Simple: When you no longer have something, or have less of it, because it was lost, taken, or destroyed.
   - _The sudden loss of hearing left her struggling to follow conversations._
   - _Companies worry about the loss of skilled workers to their rivals._
2. An instance of being defeated in a game, contest, or conflict.
   - Simple: When a team or person is beaten in a game, fight, or contest.
   - _A narrow loss in the final left the players in tears._
   - _Three straight losses pushed the coach to change his tactics._
3. The amount of money a company loses overall when its costs exceed its income.
   - Simple: The amount of money a business loses when its costs are more than what it earns.
   - _The company posted a quarterly loss of two million dollars._
   - _Repeated losses forced the startup to look for new investors._
4. An instance in which a person or animal dies.
   - Simple: The death of a person or animal.
   - _The sudden loss of her father changed everything for the family._
   - _Farmers grieved the loss of livestock during the harsh winter._
5. The state of grief caused by losing someone or something, especially a person who has died.
   - Simple: The deep sadness caused by losing someone or something, especially someone who has died.
   - _The sense of loss lingered for years after his wife's death._
   - _Many people find that loss reshapes how they see the world._
6. The setback suffered when a person or thing is no longer there; also, someone whose departure is felt as a setback.
   - Simple: The harm caused when someone or something is gone, or a person who is badly missed after leaving.
   - _If they turn down a deal this good, it's their loss, not ours._
   - _The team's best defender is leaving at the end of the season, and he will be a huge loss._
7. Energy or power that is wasted, for example as heat or through friction, instead of doing useful work.
   - Simple: Energy that gets wasted instead of doing useful work.
   - _Transmission loss grows over long distances along the cable._
   - _Heat loss from the engine lowers the vehicle's overall efficiency._
8. An object that has been destroyed or ruined.
   - Simple: A thing that has been destroyed or damaged so badly that repairing it is impossible or not worth the cost.
   - _The insurer wrote off the flooded warehouse as a complete loss._
   - _After the flood soaked its engine and seats, the insurance company declared the car a total loss._

## Origin

From Middle English los, from Old English los ("damage, destruction, loss"), going back through Proto-Germanic *lusą ("dissolution, break-up, loss") to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to cut, separate, or loose." It is related to lose.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/loss (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).