noun

attrition

/əˈtrɪʃən/ · say it: uh·TRISH·uhn

the gradual loss of employees or customers over time

In more detail

1. (noun) the gradual loss or reduction of people or resources, especially due to natural causes like retirement or resignation rather than dismissal

2. (noun) the wearing away or grinding down of something through friction or continued use

Examples

1. The company lost staff through attrition rather than layoffs.
2. The constant friction caused attrition of the machinery parts.

How to use attrition

Attrition is commonly used in human resources and organizational contexts to describe the gradual loss of employees through retirement, resignation, or voluntary departure without replacement. It can also apply to military contexts, where it refers to the wearing down of resources or forces through sustained conflict. The term carries a neutral, somewhat technical tone and implies a process that occurs over time rather than sudden removal.

Common phrases

employee attrition
staff attrition
attrition rate
natural attrition
combat attrition
attrition strategy

Synonyms

erosion · wearing away · reduction · depletion · wear

Opposites

accumulation · growth · increase

Word family

attrit (verb, rare) · attritional (adjective)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse attrition with 'attribution' (assigning a cause or credit) or fail to distinguish it from 'termination', which implies intentional dismissal rather than natural loss.

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