'attrite' originates from Latin, specifically the past-participial stem 'attrītus' of the verb 'atterĕre' (or classical 'atterere'), where the root meant 'to rub against; wear away'.

'attrītus' in Latin led to Medieval Latin forms such as 'attritio'/'attritus', passed into Old French (e.g. 'attriter') and Middle English (e.g. 'attriten'), eventually yielding the modern English verb 'attrite' and its forms (e.g. 'attrited', 'attriting').

Initially it referred primarily to physical rubbing or wearing away ('to rub down, wear away'), but over time it broadened to mean weakening or reducing strength or numbers more generally (including moral, psychological, or military contexts).