Attrition
/əˈtrɪʃən/
nounIntermediate📊CommonGeneral
1 meaning2 questions
Definitions
1
The process of reducing something's strength or effectiveness gradually, typically through sustained pressure or attack.
/əˈtrɪʃən/
nounneutralIntermediate
General
Gradual reduction in numbers
The prolonged war led to significant attrition among the soldiers.
💡 Simply: Slowly becoming less powerful or numerous.
More Examples
2
Employee attrition is a major concern for many companies.
How It's Used
Military
"The army suffered heavy attrition from disease."
Business
"The company is experiencing attrition in its sales team."
From Late Latin *attritio, from Latin attritus, past participle of atterere "to rub away, wear down," from ad- "to" + terere "to rub."
Historically, 'attrition' was primarily used in military contexts, describing the wearing down of opposing forces. Its use in business and other fields is a more modern development.
Memory tip
Think of 'rubbing away' – attrition gradually wears something down.
Word Origin
LanguageLatin
Original meaning
"to rub away"
Base: attrite
heavy attritionnatural attritionemployee attrition
Common misspellings
atrittionattrictionatrssion
Practice
Usage
20%Spoken
80%Written