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# reduction in force

phrase (noun phrase; a reduction in force, reductions in force; short form RIF)

«reduction in force» in the English dictionary: in the primary school — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## In the primary school

Source: Mova's pupils' dictionary. Licence: [Elamur Cosmic License](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/docs/LICENSE/). Reviewed: the dictionary the pupils of Mova's primary school read; its examples quote the lessons and public-domain tales. Ships with Mova.

### Meaning

1. (euphemism, official, US) cutting many jobs at once in a company or government office; a mass layoff.
2. literally, making any force smaller, such as an army or police force.

### In the lessons

Used by US employers and government offices to make firing many workers sound like a neutral plan; official and business jargon. It hides who loses a job and why.

### Examples

- The company announced a reduction in force of two hundred workers.
- Her mum lost her job in the reduction in force.
- "It's not a firing, it's a reduction in force," said the manager.
- The agency had a reduction in force because of budget cuts.
- Workers were told about the reduction in force by email.
- After the reduction in force, the office was half empty.

### Note

Stands for "mass layoff" or "firing lots of people". Sounds cold and official. In maths problems it gives a number of jobs lost: if 500 workers have a reduction in force of 120, then 380 are left.