Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "lalacewa" ita ce aiki ko tsari na ragewa ko gyara lalacewar da aka riga aka yi, musamman a yanayin da wani abu ya faru ko kuma ba zato ba tsammani. Yawanci yana nufin ƙoƙarce-ƙoƙarce don hana al'amura yin muni, ko rage mummunan sakamako na wata matsala da ta riga ta kasance. Ana yawan amfani da kalmar a cikin mahallin kamar sarrafa rikici, hulɗar jama'a, da amsa gaggawa.