Truncate

To shorten something by cutting off a part; to reduce something to a shorter length or duration. This can apply to physical objects, such as cutting off the end of a piece of wood, or more abstract concepts like text, data, or time periods. The act of truncation often involves removing a portion that is considered unnecessary, irrelevant, or excessive. The purpose of truncating is to simplify, condense, or make something more manageable. It's a common practice in various fields, from computer science and mathematics to literature and business, aiming to improve efficiency or clarity. The removed portion may or may not be recoverable, depending on the context and method of truncation. Consider truncating a database to remove old information or shortening a presentation to fit within a time limit.

Truncate meaning with examples

• The software had an option to Truncate file names to 8 characters, a common limitation on older systems. This ensured compatibility but sometimes resulted in ambiguous names. This was a simple truncation of data to satisfy a technical constraint, removing the excess characters to fit the limitations of the operating system.
• The editor decided to Truncate the novel, removing several chapters considered less relevant to the main plot. This made the story more focused and faster paced, keeping the core theme and characters. Truncating this manuscript was done to better engage the reader, keeping them captivated throughout the journey.
• Due to budget constraints, the company had to Truncate its marketing campaign, reducing the scope and duration. This led to difficult choices about which promotions to cut, the time of broadcast and the potential number of viewers reached by their media, as well as the regions included.
• In statistical analysis, the data was truncated to remove outliers that skewed the results, such as extreme results or irrelevant information. This method helped to create more realistic calculations and better representations of the average results in the experiment, ultimately leading to better predictions.