attrition

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Unfortunately for them, the attrition is all on their side.

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Definitions (13)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (4)

  1. noun A rubbing away or wearing down by friction.
  2. noun A gradual diminution in number or strength because of constant stress.
  3. noun A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through retirement, resignation, or death.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (3)

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Examples (43)

  • However, I think the real benefit that Railo brings to the CFML world is in stemming some of the attrition which is natural in any language. —  Application Generation
  • One of the positions was eliminated through attrition, and about 50 nurses remain, said Patrick Wallace, a spokesman for the school district. leaner $289 million fiscal 2010 budget in May but more cuts may be coming because the district learned it will get several million dollars less from the state than it had expected due to declining tax revenue. —  Philadelphia Business News - Local Philadelphia News | The Philadelphia Business Journal
  • Due to attrition, the Police Department is expected to be down by 30 officers, and the Fire Department will be down 16 by the end of the fiscal year.
  • General Grant seems to have understood this, and to have resolutely adopted the programme of "attrition"--coldly estimating that, even if he lost ten men to General Lee's one, he could better endure that loss, and could afford it, if thereby he "crushed the rebellion The military theory of the Federal commander having thus been set forth in his own words, it remains to notice his programme for the approaching campaign. —  A Life of Gen. Robert E. Lee
  • Unfortunately for them, the attrition is all on their side. —  Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!
 

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English attricioun, regret, breaking, from Old French attrition, abrasion, from Late Latin attrītiō, attrītiōn-, act of rubbing against, from Latin attrītus, past participle of atterere, to rub against : ad-, against; see ad- + terere, to rub; see terə-1 in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. = French attrition, from Late Latin attritio(n-), a rubbing, from Latin attritus, past participle of atterere, rub: see attrite.
 

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/əˈtrɪʃən/
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