What does flattening mean?
Flattening refers to the act or process of making something flat, level, or uniform — whether by physical force, as when a road surface is pressed smooth, or by metaphorical extension, as when differences, hierarchies, or fluctuations are reduced. The word is at home in an unusually wide range of fields: engineers speak of flattening metal sheets, economists track the flattening of the yield curve, designers discuss the flattening of visual depth into minimalist graphics, and public-health officials made 'flattening the curve' a household phrase during the COVID-19 pandemic. Its connotations are largely neutral, though flattening can carry a faintly negative shade when it implies loss of variety, nuance, or structure — as in criticism that digital culture is flattening human experience. As the gerund of the verb flatten, it also simply names the ongoing action of becoming or being made flat.
The act or process of making something flat or flatter; the state of being flattened.
"The flattening of the dough is done with a wooden roller."
Also used figuratively for the reduction of curves, hierarchies, or variation.
The -ing form of the verb flatten: to make flat or flatter, or to become flat.
"The storm surge was flattening the dunes along the coast."
Rarely used in the plural; 'flattenings' may appear in technical contexts referring to multiple instances or measurements of flattening.
"The machinist recorded the flattenings measured across several test pieces."
"Flatten the curve" turned this humble geometric term into one of the most-repeated phrases of the 21st century.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of flattening
Flattening derives from the verb 'flatten', formed in English from 'flat' plus the suffix '-en', which creates verbs indicating a change into a state. 'Flat' itself entered Middle English from Old Norse 'flatr', meaning level or spread out — a reminder of the strong Scandinavian influence on English vocabulary in the medieval period. The noun 'flattening', denoting the action or result of flattening, arose through ordinary conversion of the verb's -ing form and shares its Germanic roots with related forms such as 'flatness' and 'flatly'.
Related word forms
How flattening is actually used
Common in technical and analytical contexts — engineering, economics, epidemiology, design — where it often describes the reduction of a curve, gradient, or hierarchy rather than a purely physical action. In everyday speech it usually appears as part of the verb 'flatten' rather than standing alone.
Easily confused with flattening
Flattering means giving a favourable or complimentary impression, while flattening means making something flat or uniform.