attrition
a gradual weakening of something
TRANSLATION
attrition = die Zermürbung, natürlicher Schwund, der Abrieb, die Erosion (woerterbuch.info) --- GOOGLE INDEX attrition: approximately 7,700,000 hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Reductions in force (RIFs) are usually accomplished through ATTRITION instead of layoffs. Private contractors and public officials are aware of the intense opposition privatization can create, and have developed effective strategies to soften, if not overcome, such objections.
(Reason Public Policy Institute)
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The ATTRITION rate for international students has declined to a greater extent than that for domestic students over the period.
(Australian Government Department of Education)
(Reason Public Policy Institute)
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The ATTRITION rate for international students has declined to a greater extent than that for domestic students over the period.
(Australian Government Department of Education)
Did you
know?
attrition
noun
- the gradual weakening and destroying of something
(Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)
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WORD ORIGIN
Etymology: from around the 15th century. The original meaning referred to rubbing away by friction and was borrowed from the Latin attritio and from attritus, the past participle of atterere, meaning to rub against. (The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology)
Attrition is used in a variety of contexts to denote something that is gradually being reduced or weakened. It’s often applied in situations where a company wants to reduce its workforce, but without layoffs or firings. In this context, attrition means as workers leave for new jobs or retire, their positions are not filled.
Another context is the phrase "war of attrition", which is a protracted conflict in which one side attempts to wear down its enemy by continuously engaging in battle. In the 20th Century, fighting a war of attrition also came to include attacking enemy civilians and resources, and not just confining itself to battles between military forces in a traditional battle setting.
Examples of wars of attrition are World War I, World War II, The Vietnam War and the 1968 to 1970 struggle between Egypt and Israel, so named the War of Attrition.
(sources: answers.com)
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SYNONYMS
abrasion, attenuation, debilitation, depreciation, disintegration, erosion, grinding, rubbing, thinning, weakening, wear
(Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus)
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ANTONYMS
building, buildup, fortification, reinforcement, strengthening
(Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus)
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IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
"I think we can reduce our inventory to manageable levels through attrition."
noun
- the gradual weakening and destroying of something
(Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary)
---
WORD ORIGIN
Etymology: from around the 15th century. The original meaning referred to rubbing away by friction and was borrowed from the Latin attritio and from attritus, the past participle of atterere, meaning to rub against. (The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology)
Attrition is used in a variety of contexts to denote something that is gradually being reduced or weakened. It’s often applied in situations where a company wants to reduce its workforce, but without layoffs or firings. In this context, attrition means as workers leave for new jobs or retire, their positions are not filled.
Another context is the phrase "war of attrition", which is a protracted conflict in which one side attempts to wear down its enemy by continuously engaging in battle. In the 20th Century, fighting a war of attrition also came to include attacking enemy civilians and resources, and not just confining itself to battles between military forces in a traditional battle setting.
Examples of wars of attrition are World War I, World War II, The Vietnam War and the 1968 to 1970 struggle between Egypt and Israel, so named the War of Attrition.
(sources: answers.com)
---
SYNONYMS
abrasion, attenuation, debilitation, depreciation, disintegration, erosion, grinding, rubbing, thinning, weakening, wear
(Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus)
---
ANTONYMS
building, buildup, fortification, reinforcement, strengthening
(Roget's New Millennium™ Thesaurus)
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
"I think we can reduce our inventory to manageable levels through attrition."
