From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary EnglishRelated topics: Business, Economicsdownturndown‧turn /ˈdaʊntɜːn $ -tɜːrn/ noun [countable usually singular]BPEa period or process in which business activity, production etc is reduced and conditions become worseOPP upturnAmerica’s current economic downturndownturn ina downturn in the auto industryExamples from the Corpusdownturn• A downturn in one part of the world has always been partly offset by growth elsewhere.• In this way, landowners can protect themselves from any downturn in the farmingeconomy, says Mr Sanders.• But the semiconductorsector, thought to be most vulnerable to an economicdownturn, fell back from several rallyattempts.• This group, they argue, still feels insecure and worries about its fate in the face of another economic downturn.• Yesterday's tradefigures showed clearly that exportvolumes were at recordlevels even in a worldwide economic downturn.• A marketdownturn in rig moves was more than compensated for by a significant increase in supportingoffshoreconstructionprojects.• It blamed the cuts on the downturn in the aerospace market.economic downturn• There is no loophole to grantbudgetflexibility in case of an economic downturn.• The world's economic downturn has triggered a rash of defaults in commercialpaper and long-termdebt, particularly by unrated issuers.• When the Exposition closed Chicago was already in the grip of a seriouseconomic downturn.• A few years hence, the nation experiences a severeeconomic downturn.• And it is fertilesoil for a severe economic downturn in the post-cold war world economy.• Inpart, the fadinglustre of famous names can be blamed on the economic downturn of the 1990s.• The economic downturn that began in 1929 was enough on its own to cause an initial increase in failures.• Yesterday's trade figures showed clearly that export volumes were at record levels even in a worldwide economic downturn.From Longman Business Dictionarydownturndown‧turn /ˈdaʊntɜːn-tɜːrn/ noun [countable, uncountable]ECONOMICSCOMMERCEthe part of the economic cycle when prices or the value of stocks, shares etc fallThe publishing sector has proved largely immune to economic downturn.downturn inWe have seen a sharp downturn in orders.Our value-oriented portfolio should serve us well in the event of a market downturn. → comparerecession, upturn