attrition

IPA: ʌtrˈɪʃʌn

Grinding down or wearing away by friction.
The gradual reduction in a tangible or intangible resource due to causes that are passive and do not involve productive use of the resource.
(human resources) A gradual, natural reduction in membership or personnel, as through injury, incapacitation, retirement, resignation, or death.
(sciences) The loss of participants during an experiment.
(theology) Imperfect contrition or remorse.
(dentistry) The wearing of teeth due to their grinding.
(linguistics) The loss of a first or second language or a portion of that language.

(transitive) To grind or wear down through friction.
(transitive) To reduce the number of (jobs or workers) by not hiring new employees to fill positions that become vacant (often with out).
(intransitive) To undergo a reduction in number.

Examples of "attrition" in Sentences

Leadership attrition is a major problem for any type of army.
Almost all of the attrition is among students with very low grades.
Cry ‚ Äôs of success when attrition is allowed to meet the sacrifice that year.
Some of this attrition is due to financial factors indeed, but a majority of the attrition is due to other factors such as poor academic preparation.
All the attrition is difficult to get a read on, particularly when one of the best players to come through McDermott's program, Wesley Johnson, is starring at Syracuse.
Men and women have near-equal NIH funding success at all stages of their careers, which makes it very unlikely that female attrition is due to negative selection from NIH grant-funding decisions.
Perhaps more subtly considered the "JPII priest" attrition is simply a recent example of the perennial struggle for the celibate priest in his affectivity and relationships, in his heart and most especially in his spousal and paternal love.
For instance; that after the long course of a most lewd and flagitious life, a man may be reconciled to God, and have his sins forgiven at the last gasp, upon confession of them to the priest, with that imperfect degree of contrition for them, which they call attrition, together with the absolution of the priest.