Meaning & use

erosion

noun·Academic

The gradual wearing away of soil, rock, or land by natural forces such as wind, water, or ice.

See it in a sentence

Years of coastal erosion have caused the cliff to shrink noticeably.

Farmers planted trees along the hillside to slow erosion during heavy rains.

A note on using this word

Erosion is also used figuratively for the gradual decline of something abstract, such as "the erosion of public trust."

Words with a similar meaning

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