noun
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a process in which a solid, esp a metal, is eaten away and changed by a chemical action, as in the oxidation of iron in the presence of water by an electrolytic process
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slow deterioration by being eaten or worn away
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the condition produced by or the product of corrosion
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of corrosion
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Late Latin corrōsiōn- (stem of corrōsiō ) a gnawing away, equivalent to Latin corrōs ( us ), past participle of corrōdere to corrode + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
Corrosion is the process by which something deteriorates because of oxidation, a chemical action that creates oxides that flake away from the base. When you see a rusty, shoddy looking car, corrosion is the culprit. Although the word is most often associated with the physical breakdown of a metal through rusting, the erosion of rock by wind and water is a form of corrosion. The word can also be applied to other situations, like the corrosion of a once-strong friendship. There could be corrosion of relations between two countries. Whenever something's being worn down or eaten away, you can call it corrosion.
Vocabulary lists containing corrosion
Song for a Whale
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Unit 3, Academic Vocabulary
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The first electric powered train passed through in June 2020 but the tunnel's overhead power system has since suffered corrosion and electrical wear, meaning more frequent maintenance.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
A 2025 Nature Reviews Materials review described direct seawater electrolysis as promising but still held back by corrosion, side reactions, metal precipitates, and limited lifetime.
From Science Daily • May 10, 2026
Some had been there so long that corrosion was destroying them.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
The DOJ claims that DC Water failed to repair the 54-mile pipe, known as the Potomac Interceptor, despite inspections that found corrosion years earlier.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The mechanism of Harrison's chronometer could withstand the turbulent motion of a ship at sea, defy changes of temperature, and resist the corrosion of salt water and air.
From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
