erosion
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for erosion, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The gradual wearing away of land or rock by water, wind, or ice.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
How to use erosion
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Etymology
From Latin ērōsiō, "eating away," from ērōdere ("to erode"). First used in English in the 1500s to describe ulcers wearing away tissue, before spreading to geology by the 1700s.
Full origin of erosion →Frequently asked questions
What does “erosion” mean?
The word “erosion” means the gradual wearing away of land or rock by water, wind, or ice. In plain terms, the slow wearing-away of something, whether physical land or an abstract thing like trust or rights.
How do you pronounce “erosion”?
“Erosion” is pronounced ih-ROH-zhuhn (/ɪˈɹoʊʒən/ in IPA).
How do you use “erosion” in a sentence?
Here is “erosion” used in a sentence: “Coastal erosion has claimed several metres of beach in the past decade.”
What part of speech is “erosion”?
“Erosion” is a noun.
Where does the word “erosion” come from?
The word “erosion” dates back to around 1500 and comes from Latin. From Latin ērōsiō, "eating away," from ērōdere ("to erode"). First used in English in the 1500s to describe ulcers wearing away tissue, before spreading to geology by the 1700s.
Is “erosion” a common word?
“Erosion” is a fairly common word in modern English.
How many meanings does “erosion” have?
“Erosion” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the gradual wearing away of land or rock by water, wind, or ice.
What is the difference between erosion and weathering?
Weathering breaks down rock and land material in place through chemical or physical processes, while erosion involves the actual transport of that broken-down material by water, wind, or ice. The two processes often work together, with weathering preparing material that erosion then carries away.
Can erosion refer to something other than land or rock?
Yes, erosion is commonly used figuratively to describe the gradual weakening or loss of something abstract over time, such as "erosion of trust" or "erosion of rights." This figurative sense draws on the core meaning of gradual wearing away.
What causes erosion?
Erosion is caused primarily by water, wind, and ice gradually wearing away land or rock over time, and it can be intensified by human activity such as deforestation or construction that removes protective vegetation and soil structure.