attrition
n. uncountablen. a gradual reduction in the number of people or things in a group. It often happens when people leave a job or school and are not replaced.
n. the gradual reduction of a workforce or student body through resignation, retirement, or death, rather than through layoffs. In linguistics, refers to the loss of a first or second language due to lack of use.
The company is using natural attrition to reduce its staff numbers.
The university is concerned about the high rate of student attrition during the first year of the engineering program.
Language attrition often occurs when an immigrant becomes immersed in a new culture and slowly loses the grammatical nuances of their native tongue through disuse.
15th century, from Middle English attricion, attricioun, from Middle French attricion, attrition and its etymon, Latin attrītiō (“a rubbing against”), from the verb attrītus, past participle of atterō (“to wear”), from ad- (“to, towards”) + terō (“to rub”). By surface analysis, attrit + -ion.
Uncountable when referring to the general process; can be countable when referring to specific rates or instances.