: a deliberate reduction in the book value of an asset (as to reflect the effect of obsolescence)
wrote down; written down; writing down; writes down
1
: to record in written form
2
a
: to depreciate, disparage, or injure by writing
b
: to reduce in status, rank, or value
especially
: to reduce the book value of
: to write so as to appeal to a lower level of taste, comprehension, or intelligence
Synonyms
Examples of write-down in a Sentence
Verb
a company forced to write down its assets
write down what you remember about that day
Recent Examples on the Web
Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
In August, Warner Bros. Discovery booked a $9.1 billion write-down of its TV networks, triggered by the reevaluation of the book value of the segment.
—Lillian Rizzo,alex Sherman, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
Bowery hasn't had VC firm reps on its board for at least the last couple months, while Fidelity recently wrote down its investment value by more than 99%.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for write-down 
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Noun
The decrease in cost is linked to lower inventory write-downs.
—Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
In August, Warner Bros. Discovery booked a $9.1 billion write-down of its TV networks, triggered by the reevaluation of the book value of the segment.
—Lillian Rizzo,alex Sherman, CNBC, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
Discovery took massive, multi-billion dollar hits this summer to write down the value of their cable assets.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 20 Nov. 2024
Bowery hasn't had VC firm reps on its board for at least the last couple months, while Fidelity recently wrote down its investment value by more than 99%.
—Dan Primack, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for write-down
Dictionary Entries Near write-down
Cite this Entry
“Write-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-down. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
write down
transitive verb
wrote down; written down; writing down
: to reduce the book value of (an asset)
write down accounts receivable
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