erosion

[ih-roh-zhuhn]

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.

erosion

/ 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

erosion

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.

erosion

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

Other Word Forms

• erosional adjective
• antierosion adjective
• erosive adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of erosion¹

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

Example Sentences

In Cwmtillery, the land is being reprofiled and new drains are being installed, which the government said would "help stabilise and reduce the risk of future landslides and erosion".

Read more on BBC

Because of the erosion of market institutions in the U.S., erratic policy, and the potential for inflation, we may see the dollar go lower, from a historically high level, over the next couple of years.

Read more on Barron's

Many of the residents here have fled the civil war in South Sudan, only to encounter a new challenge: the erosion of international aid that residents rely on to survive.

Read more on Salon

The WHO urged its member states to address "potential risks" associated with AI, including "biased or low-quality outputs, automation bias, erosion of clinician skills, reduced clinician–patient interaction and inequitable outcomes for marginalised populations".

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But side roads in residential areas proved harder to control — especially in fire-affected areas more prone to erosion.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• corrosion 
• decrease 
• destruction 
• disintegration