lossy
UK[ˈlɒsi]US[ˈlɔːsi]
adj
relating to or involving data compression in which some information is discarded, resulting in a reduction in quality or fidelity.
Morpheme Breakdown
loss
y
loss
noun
y
adjective-forming suffix
Etymology
the word "lossy" is a modern english formation, created in the late 20th century within the field of computing and data processing. it is built upon the noun "loss," which has deep germanic roots tracing back to a notion of destruction or perishing. the adjectival suffix "-y" is appended to indicate the characteristic of involving loss. the term's logic is transparent: a "lossy" process is one that incurs a loss, specifically the permanent discarding of some data during compression to reduce file size, as opposed to a "lossless" one which preserves all information.
Analysis
Structure: loss (noun) + y (adjective-forming suffix)
- loss: from old english 'los' meaning "destruction, loss," from proto-germanic lusa-.
- y: a productive english suffix forming adjectives, from old english '-ig', from proto-germanic -īgaz.
Examples
jpeg is a lossy compression format commonly used for digital photographs.
converting an audio file to an mp3 using a low bitrate will result in a lossy, lower-quality version.
the algorithm makes lossy compromises to achieve a much smaller file size.