wast ‧ age /ˈweɪstɪdʒ/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable] formal
[ Word Family: noun : ↑ wastage , ↑ waste , ↑ wastefulness , ↑ waster , ↑ wastrel ; adjective : ↑ waste , ↑ wasteful , ↑ wasted , ↑ wasting ; verb : ↑ waste ; adverb : ↑ wastefully ]
1 . when something is lost or destroyed, especially in a way that is not useful or reasonable, or the amount that is lost or destroyed:
The system used to result in a great deal of food wastage.
wastage of
wastage of ability among working class children
2 . natural wastage British English a reduction in the number of workers because of people leaving, ↑ retiring etc and not because they have lost their jobs