: 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
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
Jeremy White, Wired News, 16 Dec. 2025
This follows an August report that the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has taken an $8 billion write-down on some of its highest-profile giga projects.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Cate Charron, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
Those are the recipes that Southerners like to pass down—the ones that don't require being written down, only a memory of how our mothers and grandmothers used to do it.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for write-down
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Noun
On Monday, taking a $19.5 billion write-down, Ford killed its Lightning F-150 along with several other electric models.
—Jeremy White, Wired News, 16 Dec. 2025
This follows an August report that the Public Investment Fund (PIF), has taken an $8 billion write-down on some of its highest-profile giga projects.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Usually, a person will need to write down their name and address — which they'll be asked to speak at the microphone.
—Cate Charron, IndyStar, 30 Dec. 2025
Those are the recipes that Southerners like to pass down—the ones that don't require being written down, only a memory of how our mothers and grandmothers used to do it.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for write-down
Cite this Entry
“Write-down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/write-down. Accessed 31 Dec. 2025.
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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