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

• erosive adjective
• erosional adjective
• antierosion 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

The result was a significant erosion of Congress’ “power of the purse,” which has historically included not only approving money but also monitoring how it was spent.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At the time, the city was engulfed in regular protests over the erosion of free speech and assembly rights, which culminated in China passing a security law to crack down on dissent.

Read more on BBC

Some analysts have dubbed the recent investor rush into gold and bitcoin as a “debasement trade,” driven by a desire to hedge against the perceived long-term erosion of major currencies by buying non-fiat assets.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

I agree with Salveen about the erosion of potential M&A premiums in biotech.

Read more on Barron's

Metals like silver, unlike stocks and bonds, are offering investors a sense of safety and promise to protect cash from inflation erosion.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• corrosion 
• decrease 
• destruction 
• disintegration