decimation

[ des-uh-mey-shuhn ]
See synonyms for decimation on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the destruction of a great number or proportion of people, animals, or things:There is growing evidence that pesticide use is contributing significantly to the decimation of bee populations.

  2. the act or practice of killing one-tenth of a population, as a punishment, to cull wild animals, or for other purposes:The Roman Empire used decimation, executing 1 in 10 people—ordinary citizens, slaves, or soldiers—to quell mutinies, riots, and other uprisings.

Origin of decimation

1
First recorded in 1450–1500, for an earlier sense; from Latin decimātiōn-, stem of decimātiō “a punishing of every tenth man”; see decimate, -ion

Words Nearby decimation

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use decimation in a sentence