Attrition

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈtɹɪʃən/

Definitions

1. A process of diminishing numbers or effectiveness, particularly through continuous pressure or conflict, is evident in various fields including military and business contexts
2. The gradual decrease in strength, effectiveness, or continuity due to external stressors is noted in both organizational and combat situations
3. A reduction in numbers, effectiveness, or resources resulting from sustained pressure, competition, or conflict occurs in both warfare and corporate environments

Etymology: Medieval theologians gave "attrition" a precise and rather technical job: it named a sorrow for sin that arises from fear of punishment or shame, as opposed to a sorrow rooted in love of God. That narrow sense is a long way from the everyday idea of gradual wearing down, and the word's core meaning has always been physical. It comes from Latin "attrītiō," meaning "a rubbing against," built on the verb "atterere," "to wear," which joins "ad-" ("to, towards") with "terere," "to rub." The word reached English in the 15th century, through Middle French "attrition," and its earliest English uses kept that concrete force of rubbing and grinding. The sense of steady loss through repeated pressure, which is what the word means now, grew naturally out of the image of surfaces being worn away by friction.

Synonyms: gradual reduction, wearing away

Antonyms: growth, increase