compression

noun kohm-preh-SYOHN Rare

Also means

budget cut, downsizing

Usage Note

Compression covers both its technical meaning (squeezing gas or data) and an important business sense: compression de personnel or compression d'effectifs means workforce reduction or layoffs. This corporate usage is common in French-speaking media. The related verb comprimer carries both senses as well.

Examples

"La compression des fichiers réduit leur taille."

Natural Translation

File compression reduces their size.

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