Attrition
Etymology
From Latin "attritionem" (a rubbing against), from "ad-" (against) and "terere" (to rub or wear away). It first had a theological sense of imperfect repentance, then came to mean a wearing-down — as in a "war of attrition." Business borrowed the erosion image for the steady departure of staff.
noun · /uh-TRISH-un/
The gradual loss of people — employees or customers — through resignations, retirements, or drift, rather than deliberate cuts.
What it names
Slow, quiet bleeding that no single event explains, so leaders track the trickle before it becomes a flood.
Example
The company never held layoffs; it simply let attrition shrink the team by not backfilling roles.
Related idea
Attrition is people leaving, usually said of staff; churn is the same idea usually said of customers, and often includes the new ones replacing them. Attrition emphasizes the slow, natural wearing away; churn emphasizes the rate of turnover.
noun · /uh-TRISH-un/
The gradual wearing down of an enemy through sustained, relentless pressure.
What it names
victory by exhaustion rather than a single decisive blow.
Example
The trenches became a grinding war of attrition.
Related idea
The same wearing-away that thins a workforce, aimed at an opponent.