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”; see attrite, -ion

Explanation

Attrition is a gradual process of wearing down, weakening, or destroying something. When a company wants to reduce its payroll without firing anyone, it will sometimes do so through attrition; that is, by waiting for people to retire or quit without hiring anyone new to replace them. In a more general sense, the word means break down, wear out, or reduce in numbers. A triple overtime basketball game, with many players fouling out, is a war of attrition. When you see the word attrition, think "Gradually chipping away."

Example Sentences

The federal support also helped reduce attrition, a problem that has long plagued the notoriously underpaid childcare sector.

From Salon • May 10, 2026

"Restoring a more youthful microbiome can reverse several core features of aging at both the molecular and functional level, including inflammation, fibrosis, mitochondrial decline, telomere attrition, and DNA damage," Dr. Li said.

From Science Daily • May 9, 2026

The rate of attrition, or the number of service members leaving the military, has also declined slightly, after being described as causing "a death spiral" by former Defence Minister Bill Blair in 2024.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

She negotiated an expensive package of police raises in an effort to slow attrition.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Marine General Victor Krulak showed the secretary a detailed report he’d written that seemed to prove mathematically that Westmoreland’s war of attrition was doomed.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• erosion