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Synonyms

corrosion

American  
[kuh-roh-zhuhn] / kəˈroʊ ʒən /

noun

  1. the act or process of corroding; condition of being corroded.

  2. a product of corroding, as rust.

corrosion British  
/ kəˈrəʊʒən /

noun

  1. 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

  2. slow deterioration by being eaten or worn away

  3. the condition produced by or the product of corrosion

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
corrosion Scientific  
/ kə-rō′zhən /

  1. The breaking down or destruction of a material, especially a metal, through chemical reactions. The most common form of corrosion is rusting, which occurs when iron combines with oxygen and water.

Other Word Forms

  • corrosional adjective

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

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.

Operator Perenco said the cause was microbial corrosion in a buried pipeline.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

The material provides the strength, corrosion resistance and ductility required for demanding applications such as vehicle underbodies, frame elements and other key structural parts.

From Science Daily • Mar. 10, 2026

Today, they are still used in consumer and industrial products because they repel water, grease, and stains and can tolerate heat and corrosion.

From Science Daily • Feb. 26, 2026

“The Approval allows the 120-mile Pipeline System to operate despite its lack of protection from corrosion the root cause of the 2015 oil spill,” the plaintiffs said in Wednesday’s lawsuit.

From Barron's • Dec. 26, 2025

There were times when her freckles were not sunny but like corrosion or rust.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides

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.