# attrition

/əˈtɹɪʃən/ (US) · /ɐtɹˈɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/attrition
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. workforce reduction

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Formal

the process of reducing the number of employees by not replacing those who leave.

For teachers: the reduction in the size of a workforce through natural wastage, such as retirement or resignation, rather than through redundancies.

- The company is avoiding layoffs by relying on natural attrition as people retire.
- Management opted for a policy of attrition, choosing not to fill vacancies created by departing staff to meet their budgetary targets.

### 2. wearing down by friction

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

the process of wearing something down by rubbing it against something else.

For teachers: the process of wearing down or grinding away a surface through friction or repetitive contact.

- The smooth stones on the beach were shaped by years of attrition from the waves.
- Geological attrition occurs as pebbles are transported downstream, colliding with one another and gradually losing their sharp edges.

### 3. weakening an opponent

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic

a way of winning a fight or war by slowly making the other side weaker until they give up.

For teachers: a military or competitive strategy aimed at wearing down the enemy to the point of collapse through continuous losses in personnel and materiel.

- It became a war of attrition where both sides waited for the other to run out of supplies.
- The conflict devolved into a brutal war of attrition, with neither side capable of a decisive breakthrough despite mounting casualties.

### 4. to reduce staff

verb · CEFR C2 · Formal · Technical

to reduce the number of workers by not hiring new people when someone leaves.

For teachers: to reduce a workforce by failing to replace employees who leave their positions.

- The department was attritioned down to half its original size over five years.
- The administration decided to attrition out the remaining administrative roles rather than issuing formal termination notices.

Usage: Often used in the phrasal form 'attrition out'.

## Examples

- 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.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.