Truncation is the act or process of shortening something by removing part of it. It can also refer to the state of being shortened. In mathematics, truncating is reducing a number by cutting off some of the digits after the decimal point. For example, 1,356 may be truncated to 1,3.In IT, truncation is “cutting something or removing parts of it to make it shorter”.
This technique is used in databases where the ending of a word is replaced by a symbol, allowing different forms of a word to be searched simultaneously and increasing the number of search results found. Truncation is also an adjective that describes something (like a leaf or a feather) with the square end as if it had been cut off. This is similar to the mathematical process of “rounding”, except that in some forms of truncation, the number can be automatically rounded down by cutting off the extra decimal digits, even if that floating-point number is closer to a larger integer. Truncation is very useful when you know that one of your search terms has multiple endings, but all variations represent basically the same idea. Different databases use different truncation symbols, so it is important to check the information in the database “Help” or “Search Tips” for details on which symbol to use. Using truncation will help you complete your search faster, as you won't have to manually type and search every variation of the word. Truncation can also be used to reduce memory usage on a system or clear a visual interface.
In mathematics and computer science, truncation is limiting the number of digits to the right of the decimal point, discarding the least significant ones. Truncation can also be performed on email platforms, where a user can see the message that a certain email has been “truncated”.
