What does "attrit" mean?
One who voluntarily or involuntarily leaves a company; a termed employee.
Attrit
/əˈtɹɪt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who voluntarily or involuntarily leaves a company; a termed employee.
- Grammar: attrit is listed as noun, verb.
- Usage evidence: […] pebbles of vast size, or blocks of stone, attrited by water to smoothness, conjoined by a cement of mud.
How to use "attrit"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "attrit" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "attrit" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "attrit" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "attrit" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "attrit" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with a nearby word before publishing so the final choice matches the reader's expectations.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "attrit", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who voluntarily or involuntarily leaves a company; a termed employee. countable
"Throughout the early part of the meeting, a human resources manager kept talking about “attrits," which we thought was some kind of financial product they were reducing or eliminating. It wasn't until she mentioned "minimizing severance options" that we realized she was talking about people."
Verb
- 1 To wear down through attrition, especially mechanical attrition.
"[…] pebbles of vast size, or blocks of stone, attrited by water to smoothness, conjoined by a cement of mud."
- 2 To engage in attrition; to quit or drop out.
"the relatives who had been helping slipped away as I grew older, attriting for various reasons that all amounted to the same reason."
- 3 To be reduced in quantity through attrition.
"The interference theory of second language loss holds that forgetting is actually interference between the attriting language and the language replacing it."
- 4 To lose, or to kill, troops by attrition due to sustained firepower.
"The primary objective is to attrit the units sufficiently so that they cannot close with the units in contact."
Example
"[…] pebbles of vast size, or blocks of stone, attrited by water to smoothness, conjoined by a cement of mud."
Common questions
How do you use "attrit" in a sentence?
[…] pebbles of vast size, or blocks of stone, attrited by water to smoothness, conjoined by a cement of mud.
How do you pronounce "attrit"?
Pronounced /əˈtɹɪt/.
Etymology
From Latin attrītus, past participle of atterō. Said by multiple dictionaries to be a back-formation from attrition, but it is not a recent one, being centuries old.