re·trench·ment 1 (r?-tr?nch?m?nt)n.1. A cutting down or back; reduction.2. A curtailment of expenses.re·trench·ment 2 (r?-tr?nch?m?nt)n. The act of consolidating one’s strength, as for further efforts.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.retrenchment (r??tr?nt?m?nt) n1. (Banking & Finance) the act of reducing expenditure in order to improve financial stability2. (Fortifications) an extra interior fortification to reinforce outer wallsCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014re?trench?ment (r??tr?nt? m?nt) n. 1. the act of retrenching; a cutting down or off, as by the reduction of expenses. 2. an interior work within a fortification, to which a garrison may retreat. [1590?1600;