destruction
Americannoun
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the act of destroying.
wanton destruction of a town.
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the condition of being destroyed; demolition; annihilation.
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a cause or means of destroying.
noun
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the act of destroying or state of being destroyed; demolition
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a cause of ruin or means of destroying
Related Words
See ruin.
Other Word Forms
- nondestruction noun
- predestruction noun
- semidestruction noun
Etymology
Origin of destruction
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English (from Anglo-French ), from Latin dēstructiōn- (stem of dēstructiō ), equivalent to dēstruct(us) (past participle of dēstruere; destroy ) + -iōn- -ion
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"All they stand for is anger, hatred, and destruction," roared a hoarse Viktor Orban.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
They range from “cost impacts and sensitivities for each of our miners to potential for rationing/the pathway to demand destruction and supply conservation,” UBS says.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
For Fogelman, the destruction of the bunker is just one of Season 2’s “big swings.”
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026
“We think current market pricing underplays the potential for demand destruction resulting from a squeeze in consumer purchasing power from higher energy prices,” Raedler and his team said in a note published Friday.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
While functional, the problem with this theory is that it often places you personally and physically at the very nexus of destruction.
From This Side of Wild by Gary Paulsen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
