attrition

[ uh-trish-uhn ]

/ əˈtrɪʃ ən /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR attrition ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away.

a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition.

a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced.

the act of rubbing against something; friction.

a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion.

Theology. imperfect contrition.See under contrition (def. 2).

Origin of attrition

1325–75; Middle English <Latin attrītiōn- (stem of attrītiō) friction. See attrite, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM attrition

at·tri·tion·al, adjectiveat·tri·tive

[uh-trahy-tiv], /əˈtraɪ tɪv/, adjectivein·ter·at·tri·tion, noun

Words nearby attrition

attribution theory, attributive, attributively, attrit, attrite, attrition, Attu, Attucks, Attucks, Crispus, attune, atty.

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for attrition

It is not a decisive war, with a single, signature victory, but a war of attrition.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But there is no consensus about what the attrition of ISIS looks like.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The past two months have been a war of attrition between the Hong Kong government and pro-democracy protestors.
The Monuments Men of Occupy Hong Kong|Brendon Hong|December 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Sen. Rand Paul has called for the “attrition if not an outright elimination of the IRS.”
Huckabee: ‘A Tax Is Punishment’|Lloyd Green|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Following the attrition of heavy industry in the 1980s, the income gap across the United Kingdom has grown substantially.
Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality|Noah Caldwell|September 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How else, indeed, could the general will find fit expression, except through the attrition of many minds?
Stephen A. Douglas|Allen Johnson
But it is the attrition of character against character that really interests him.
Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 15|Various
The attrition of men is the outward force that makes character.
Woven with the Ship|Cyrus Townsend Brady
The straight footpaths beneath the trees have been worn into deep tracks by the attrition of feet for many centuries.
Thomas Hardy's Dorset|Robert Thurston Hopkins
In short, it was the point of attrition between the new system and a suspicious, excited populace.
John Marshall and the Constitution|Edward S. Corwin

British Dictionary definitions for attrition

attrition

/ (əˈtrɪʃən) /

noun

the act of wearing away or the state of being worn away, as by friction

constant wearing down to weaken or destroy (often in the phrase war of attrition)

Also called: natural wastage a decrease in the size of the workforce of an organization achieved by not replacing employees who retire or resign

geography the grinding down of rock particles by friction during transportation by water, wind, or iceCompare abrasion (def. 3), corrasion

theol sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation, esp as contrasted with contrition, which arises purely from love of God

Derived forms of attrition

attritional, adjectiveattritive (əˈtraɪtɪv), adjective

Word Origin for attrition

C14: from Late Latin attrītiō a rubbing against something, from Latin atterere to weaken, from terere to rub

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

Medical definitions for attrition

attrition

[ ə-trĭsh′ən ]

n.

A wearing away by friction or rubbing, such as the loss of tooth structure caused by abrasive foods or grinding of the teeth.

单词	attrition
释义	attrition [ uh-trish-uhn ] / əˈtrɪʃ ən / SEE SYNONYMS FOR attrition ON THESAURUS.COM noun a reduction or decrease in numbers, size, or strength: Our club has had a high rate of attrition because so many members have moved away. a wearing down or weakening of resistance, especially as a result of continuous pressure or harassment: The enemy surrounded the town and conducted a war of attrition. a gradual reduction in work force without firing of personnel, as when workers resign or retire and are not replaced. the act of rubbing against something; friction. a wearing down or away by friction; abrasion. Theology. imperfect contrition.See under contrition (def. 2). Origin of attrition 1325–75; Middle English <Latin attrītiōn- (stem of attrītiō) friction. See attrite, -ion OTHER WORDS FROM attrition at·tri·tion·al, adjectiveat·tri·tive [uh-trahy-tiv], /əˈtraɪ tɪv/, adjectivein·ter·at·tri·tion, noun Words nearby attrition attribution theory, attributive, attributively, attrit, attrite, attrition, Attu, Attucks, Attucks, Crispus, attune, atty. Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020 Example sentences from the Web for attrition It is not a decisive war, with a single, signature victory, but a war of attrition. Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War\|Nancy A. Youssef\|January 7, 2015\|DAILY BEAST But there is no consensus about what the attrition of ISIS looks like. Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War\|Nancy A. Youssef\|January 7, 2015\|DAILY BEAST The past two months have been a war of attrition between the Hong Kong government and pro-democracy protestors. The Monuments Men of Occupy Hong Kong\|Brendon Hong\|December 4, 2014\|DAILY BEAST Sen. Rand Paul has called for the “attrition if not an outright elimination of the IRS.” Huckabee: ‘A Tax Is Punishment’\|Lloyd Green\|September 29, 2014\|DAILY BEAST Following the attrition of heavy industry in the 1980s, the income gap across the United Kingdom has grown substantially. Scotland’s ‘Yes’ Campaign and the Myth of Scottish Equality\|Noah Caldwell\|September 18, 2014\|DAILY BEAST How else, indeed, could the general will find fit expression, except through the attrition of many minds? Stephen A. Douglas\|Allen Johnson But it is the attrition of character against character that really interests him. Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 15\|Various The attrition of men is the outward force that makes character. Woven with the Ship\|Cyrus Townsend Brady The straight footpaths beneath the trees have been worn into deep tracks by the attrition of feet for many centuries. Thomas Hardy's Dorset\|Robert Thurston Hopkins In short, it was the point of attrition between the new system and a suspicious, excited populace. John Marshall and the Constitution\|Edward S. Corwin British Dictionary definitions for attrition attrition / (əˈtrɪʃən) / noun the act of wearing away or the state of being worn away, as by friction constant wearing down to weaken or destroy (often in the phrase war of attrition) Also called: natural wastage a decrease in the size of the workforce of an organization achieved by not replacing employees who retire or resign geography the grinding down of rock particles by friction during transportation by water, wind, or iceCompare abrasion (def. 3), corrasion theol sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation, esp as contrasted with contrition, which arises purely from love of God Derived forms of attrition attritional, adjectiveattritive (əˈtraɪtɪv), adjective Word Origin for attrition C14: from Late Latin attrītiō a rubbing against something, from Latin atterere to weaken, from terere to rub 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 Words related to attrition erosion, attenuation, debilitation, grinding, abrasion, wear, depreciation, disintegration, rubbing, thinning, weakening, repentance, remorse, penitence, penance, contriteness, remorsefulness Medical definitions for attrition attrition [ ə-trĭsh′ən ] n. A wearing away by friction or rubbing, such as the loss of tooth structure caused by abrasive foods or grinding of the teeth. The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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attrition

noun

Origin of attrition

OTHER WORDS FROM attrition

Words nearby attrition

Example sentences from the Web for attrition

British Dictionary definitions for attrition

noun

Derived forms of attrition

Word Origin for attrition

Words related to attrition

Medical definitions for attrition

n.