erosion

American  

[ih-roh-zhuhn] / ɪˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

1. the act or state of eroding; state of being eroded.

2. the process by which the surface of the earth is worn away by the action of water, glaciers, winds, waves, etc.

3. the gradual decline or disintegration of something.

   Each candidate is blaming the other’s party for the erosion of international trade.

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erosion British  

/ ɪˈrəʊʒən /

noun

1. the wearing away of rocks and other deposits on the earth's surface by the action of water, ice, wind, etc

2. the act or process of eroding or the state of being eroded

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erosion Scientific  

/ ĭ-rō′zhən /

1. The gradual wearing away of land surface materials, especially rocks, sediments, and soils, by the action of water, wind, or a glacier. Usually erosion also involves the transport of eroded material from one place to another, as from the top of a mountain to an adjacent valley, or from the upstream portion of a river to the downstream portion.

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erosion Cultural  

1. A type of weathering in which surface soil and rock are worn away through the action of glaciers, water, and wind.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antierosion
  adjective
• erosive
  adjective
• erosional
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of erosion

First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin ērōsiōn- (stem of ērōsiō ), derivative of ērōdere “to gnaw, eat away”; see origin at erode, -ion

Explanation

The Grand Canyon is a monumental example of erosion—the entire canyon was carved by the flow of the Colorado River, which slowly dug the canyon out of stone over the course of eons. Erosion is the wearing away of sand, soil, or rock by water or wind. But it also has a metaphorical sense. The erosion of standards for behavior in society means that our grandparents would be shocked by what passes for good manners today.

Example Sentences

Situated between the tectonically active western United States and the more stable interior of the North American plate, the Wyoming Craton has experienced significant erosion over geologic time.

From Science Daily • Jun. 3, 2026

Fifty years from now, Powell’s stand against the president and against the erosion of Fed independence will be an integral part of his legacy, Blinder said.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

“The main concern I have right now is the income squeeze. We are seeing a gradual erosion of spending power,” Daco said to MarketWatch in an interview.

From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026

He also raised concerns about whether fire damage would lead to increased erosion and the accumulation of silt in streams when rain storms arrive this winter.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2026

We learned that wildlife, like deer and butterflies, depend on native plants for survival, and if we remove the bushes and small trees along our coastlines, then hurricanes could cause increased coastal erosion.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Related Words

• corrosion
• decrease
• destruction
• disintegration