attenuation

noun

at·​ten·​u·​a·​tion ə-ˌten-yə-ˈwā-shən 

-yü-ˈā-

plural attenuations

: the act or process of attenuating something or the state of being attenuated: such as

a

: a lessening in amount, force, magnitude, or value : weakening

Sound can travel thousands of kilometers in this planar acoustic waveguide with little attenuation.

—David Ritchie

b

: a reduction of severity or virulence : a decrease in the pathogenicity of a microorganism or in the severity of a disease

This virus grew well in tissue culture, with only limited temperature sensitivity as a marker of possible attenuation.

—Peter F. Wright

c

: diminution of thickness

The detailing of the doorway, the narrowness and attenuation of the columns of the portico, and most especially the paneling and ornamentation in the interior … bespeak the neoclassical, somewhat similar to the plaster work found in Baltimore interiors.

—Jessie Poesch

Examples of attenuation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Indoors, because of attenuation and scattering, GPS falls apart. —IEEE Spectrum, 1 Nov. 2012

Enough is Enough This level of attenuation leads to cynicism and disengagement, especially among the young. —Penny Abeywardena, Forbes, 3 Nov. 2024

Reaching advanced civilizations beyond the moon involves addressing the immense distances between stars, signal attenuation and current technological limits. —Franck Marchis, Scientific American, 20 July 2024

Obviously, atmospheric attenuation poses a problem for using terahertz frequencies for long-range communication and radar. —IEEE Spectrum, 7 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1559, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

attenuation

noun

at·​ten·​u·​a·​tion ə-ˌten-yə-ˈwā-shən 

: a decrease in the pathogenicity or vitality of a microorganism or in the severity of a disease

Legal Definition

attenuation

noun

at·​ten·​u·​a·​tion ə-ˌten-yu̇-ˈwā-shən 

: a lessening of the amount, force, or magnitude of something

specifically : a weakening of the connection between an illegal police procedure and the evidence obtained by it such that the evidence is admissible at trial as an exception to the exclusionary rule