attrition

English

Etymology

From Latin attritio (“a rubbing against”), from the verb attritus, past participle of atterere (“to wear”), from ad- (“to, towards”) + terere (“to rub”).

Pronunciation

• IPA: [əˈtɹɪʃən]
• Rhymes: -ɪʃən

Noun

attrition (countable and uncountable; plural attritions)

1. wearing or grinding down by friction
2. the gradual reduction in a tangible or intangible resource due to causes that are passive and do not involve productive use of the resource.
3. (human resources) A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death
4. (sciences) The loss of participants during an experiment
5. (theology) Imperfect contrition or remorse

Translations

wearing by friction

• Bulgarian: изтъркване (bg) (iztǎrkvane), изтриване (bg) (iztrivane)
• Dutch: slijtage (nl)
• Finnish: kuluminen (fi), hiertyminen (fi)
• French: usure (fr) f

• Japanese: 磨耗 (ja) (mamō)
• Russian: истирание (ru) n (istiranije), истирание (ru) (istiránije) n , стирание (ru) (stiránije) n , трение (ru) (trénije) n 
• Spanish: atrición (es) f

reduction in membership

• Dutch: vrijwillig ontslag (nl)
• French: départs volontaires (m)

• Japanese: 消耗 (shōmō)

policy of decruitment

• Dutch: afvloeiingspolitiek (nl)

• French: départs volontaires (m)

Synonyms

• (employment reduction by natural causes) natural wastage

Antonyms

• accretion

Derived terms

• attrit
• attritional
• attritionary
• attritive
• attrition damage

Related terms

• contrition

Anagrams

• titration