I. ə.ˈtrishən also a.ˈ- noun
( -s )
Etymology: Latin attrition-, attritio, from attritus + -ion-, -io -ion
1.
[Middle English attricioun, from (assumed) Medieval Latin attrition-, attritio, from Latin]
: sorrow for one's own sins that arises from a motive considered lower than that of the love of God (as a fear of punishment or a sense of shame) : imperfect contrition — used in Roman Catholic theology
2. : the act of rubbing together or wearing down : the condition of being worn down or ground down by friction
withstand moisture, pressure, and attrition — Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
tweeds that drag out into woolly knots and strings wherever there is attrition — H.G.Wells
3. : the act of weakening to the point of exhaustion by constant harassment, use, or abuse
the slow attrition of the soul by the conduct of life — Thornton Wilder
: a breaking down or wearing down from repeated attacks or constant diminution
war of attrition
the rate of attrition in some industries
: gradual loss of strength from attrition
4. : the wear of rock particles while being moved about by wind, stream currents, waves, or glaciers ; also : the removal of ice from a glacier by melting or evaporation
5. : the absence of a consonant sound (as of a sound no longer pronounced)
6. : the portion of a maturing debt issue not turned in for exchange into new securities in a refunding
Synonyms: see penitence
II. noun
: a usually gradual loss of personnel from causes normal or peculiar to a given situation (as death, retirement, and resignation in a labor force or failure and dropout among students) often without filling the vacancies