: 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