erosion

American  

[ih-roh-zhuhn] / ɪˈroʊ ʒən /

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.

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erosion British  

/ 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

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erosion Scientific  

/ ĭ-rō′zhən /

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.

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erosion Cultural  

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

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Other Word Forms

• antierosion adjective
• erosional adjective
• erosive adjective

Etymology

Origin of erosion

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

Example Sentences

The landslide was caused by "erosion" of the bank of the Ucayali River - the headwater of the Amazon - the country's National Emergency Operations Center said on X.

From BBC

Rising income inequality, recent research shows, is a key predictor of the erosion of democratic institutions, and the “care economy,” which is disproportionately shouldered by women, sits at the heart of this challenge.

From Salon

Another study led by Defeo with Brazilian collaborators, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, evaluated 315 beaches worldwide and found that one-fifth exhibit intense, extreme, or severe erosion.

From Science Daily

These persistent instabilities can affect everything from uplift and erosion to inland volcanic patterns, even in regions considered geologically stable.

From Science Daily

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".

From BBC

Related Words

• corrosion
• decrease
• destruction
• disintegration