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Shortchanged

Shortchanged is the past participle of the verb shortchange. It refers to the act of giving someone less money, goods, or value than is due, or of deceiving someone in a transaction by shorting them on change or on the agreed price. In retail and service settings, shortchanging most often describes receiving incorrect change from a cashier or being charged less than the value promised, such as a cashier giving too little cash back for a payment.

The term can also describe broader unfair treatment in financial dealings, such as underpayment of wages, under-delivery

Etymology: the word combines short, meaning lacking or insufficient, with change, meaning money returned in a

See also: underpayment, overcharge, fraud, miscalculation, change (money).

of
contracted
goods
or
services,
or
other
forms
of
shortfall
in
value.
When
shortchanging
is
intentional,
it
may
constitute
fraud,
theft,
or
breach
of
contract,
depending
on
the
laws
of
the
jurisdiction
and
the
circumstances.
transaction.
The
expression
has
appeared
in
English
since
at
least
the
18th
or
19th
century
and
is
widely
used
in
everyday
speech
and
journalistic
reporting
on
consumer
matters.