noun
depletion
dih-PLEE-shun/dɪˈpliːʃn/
The reduction or using up of a supply or resource.
The thin layer of remaining grain shows depletion of the supply.
Etymology
Depletion names the process of “un-filling,” or taking away contents. Its ancestor specifically named blood-letting, a concrete instance of the removal now expressed more generally as the reduction or exhaustion of a supply.
In context
the depletion of norms by which political institutions are able to function leading to both the loss of belief in these institutions and a willingness to embrace solutions that promise to bypass these institutions
More examples
- Repeated withdrawals caused serious depletion.
- The report warned of nutrient depletion in the soil.
- Resource depletion forced a change of plan.
Forms
depletion
deplete verb — reduce or use up a supply
Similar words
- reduction
- Reduction is any decrease; depletion emphasizes using up a supply.
- exhaustion
- Exhaustion means a resource is used up completely; depletion can be partial.