lost to attrition

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'lost to attrition' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to the fact that something has gradually been lost or diminished over time due to gradual causes, usually a lack of resources or energy. For example, "Many small businesses have been lost to attrition in the face of the recent economic recession."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

In addition, the Bloomberg administration would concede that 2,600 teachers would be lost to attrition, 600 more than estimated, saving additional jobs.

The New York Times

In this case, however, it is not a problem of replacing combat personnel lost to attrition.

HuffPost

Compared to baseline assessment, 20.1% (N = 149) of the respondents were lost to attrition at one-year follow-up.

BMC Psychiatry

Those who were lost to attrition were more likely to be younger and Black, compared with those who completed both surveys.

Annals of Behavioral Medicine

The annual number of staff leaving the workforce includes the number of health workers going back to school as well as those lost to attrition.

Human Resources for Health

One patient died whilst on the waiting list so reducing the final WL sample size to six: this was the only patient lost to attrition.

BMC Palliative Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

He said that until this year Congress had not appropriated enough money to replace auditors lost to normal attrition.

The New York Times

Even in the case of Prince, who died intestate (without a will), the mysterious vault said to contain hundreds of unreleased tracks might be no more than a curiosity to collectors that does little to connect Prince to a new generation of fans – the lifeblood of any legacy act as established fans are lost to natural attrition.

The Guardian - Business

Mr. Walcott was quick to correct him, saying the number of teaching positions projected to be lost to layoffs or attrition was actually 6,133.

The New York Times

The profiles are stable over time and robust to mortality and lost to follow-up attrition.

BMC Geriatrics

Although some participants were lost to follow-up, attrition was not associated with disability.

Clinical Journal of Pain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing staffing, use "lost to attrition" to acknowledge that departures are a natural part of organizational dynamics, differentiating it from layoffs or terminations.

Common error

Avoid using "lost to attrition" when describing sudden or drastic losses. This phrase implies a gradual reduction, not an immediate one. For rapid declines, consider terms like "eliminated" or "terminated."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "lost to attrition" functions as a causal connector, indicating that something has been gradually reduced or eliminated over time due to natural or expected processes. Ludwig confirms this usage through numerous examples where the phrase describes a gradual loss.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "lost to attrition" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe the gradual reduction or elimination of something due to natural processes or expected departures. Ludwig confirms that this phrase is used neutrally across scientific, news, and formal business contexts to explain losses in a less alarming way. While grammatically correct, avoid using this phrase for drastic or immediate losses. Consider alternative expressions like "diminished by natural causes" or "reduced through gradual depletion" for variety. It’s important to consider, too, that Ludwig deems the phrase correct and usable in written English. Use the phrase judiciously to convey gradual, expected decline.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

gradually reduced in number

Highlights the gradual reduction in quantity.

lost through natural decline

Emphasizes the natural decline leading to loss.

reduced through gradual depletion

Emphasizes the gradual nature of the reduction.

reduced by natural turnover

Highlights natural turnover as the cause of the reduction.

diminished by natural causes

Focuses on natural causes leading to a reduction.

naturally decreased in size

Focuses on the natural decrease in size or scale.

decreased due to natural wastage

Highlights natural wastage as the reason for the decrease.

depleted over successive periods

Stresses the successive periods over which depletion occurs.

depleted by normal processes

Focuses on normal processes causing depletion.

worn away over time

Emphasizes the temporal aspect of the wearing away process.

FAQs

How to use "lost to attrition" in a sentence?

You can use "lost to attrition" to describe a gradual decrease in something, often referring to employees leaving a company over time. For example, "The company "lost employees to" attrition due to retirement and resignations".

What can I say instead of "lost to attrition"?

Alternatives include "gradually reduced in number", "naturally decreased in size", or "diminished by natural causes". Depending on the context, "reduced through gradual depletion" could also work.

Which is correct, "lost to attrition" or "loss to attrition"?

"Lost to attrition" is typically used to describe what happened to something (e.g., employees were lost to attrition). "Loss to attrition" refers to the general concept or amount of loss (e.g., the loss to attrition was significant).

What's the difference between "lost to attrition" and "lost due to attrition"?

"Lost to attrition" is a more concise and common phrasing. "Lost due to attrition" is grammatically correct but slightly more verbose. The meanings are effectively identical, so "lost to attrition" is usually preferred for its brevity.