1. the process or condition of becoming brittle; loss of toughness or flexibility in a material
Usage: commonly used in materials science and engineering contexts
2. in metallurgy, the degradation of metal properties due to exposure to certain elements, heat, or environmental conditions
Usage: technical; field-specific to metallurgy and materials engineering

Examples

• The embrittlement of the steel occurred after prolonged exposure to high temperatures.
• Hydrogen embrittlement is a serious concern in aircraft maintenance.
• Cold weather can cause embrittlement in certain plastics.
• Engineers studied the embrittlement of the bridge's metal supports over decades.
• The material's embrittlement made it unsuitable for further use.
• Thermal embrittlement reduced the flexibility of the rubber seal.