attrition

American  

[uh-trish-uhn] / əˈtrɪʃ ən /

noun

1. a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength.

   Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away.

2. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment.

   The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.

3. a gradual reduction in workforce without firing or layoff of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced.

4. the act of rubbing against something; friction.

5. a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion.

6. Theology. imperfect contrition. contrition2

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attrition British  

/ əˈtraɪtɪv, əˈtrɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of wearing away or the state of being worn away, as by friction

2. constant wearing down to weaken or destroy (often in the phrase war of attrition )

3. Also called: natural wastage.  a decrease in the size of the workforce of an organization achieved by not replacing employees who retire or resign

4. geography the grinding down of rock particles by friction during transportation by water, wind, or ice Compare abrasion corrasion

5. theol sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation, esp as contrasted with contrition, which arises purely from love of God

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Other Word Forms

• attritional adjective
• attritive adjective
• interattrition noun

Etymology

Origin of attrition

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Latin attrītiōn- (stem of attrītiō ) “friction”; attrite, -ion

Example Sentences

Wells Fargo will continue to retrain its workforce and use “attrition as our friend,” he said, but change is clear.

From The Wall Street Journal

The department, like other agencies across the nation, has struggled to keep pace with attrition, and these hiring difficulties come as the 2026 World Cup and Olympic Games loom as massive security challenges.

From Los Angeles Times

That, and worker attrition, means his staff is down to six people from 10 last year.

From The Wall Street Journal

“Departures to a single overseas employer make up only a very small fraction of normal attrition,” the FAA spokeswoman said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Today the dictionary disputes seem to have largely fizzled out, the pitched battles over lexicography having succumbed to a weary war of consumerist attrition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• erosion