annihilation

American  

[uh-nahy-uh-ley-shuhn] / əˌnaɪ əˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of annihilating, or of completely destroying or defeating someone or something.

   the brutal annihilation of millions of people.

2. the state of being annihilated; total destruction; extinction.

   fear of nuclear annihilation.

3. Physics.

   1. Also called pair annihilation.  the process in which a particle and antiparticle unite, annihilate each other, and produce one or more photons.

   2. the conversion of rest mass into energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

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annihilation British  

/ əˌnaɪəˈleɪʃən /

noun

1. total destruction

2. the act of annihilating

3. physics the destruction of a particle and its antiparticle when they collide. The annihilation of an electron with a positron generates two or, very rarely, three photons of annihilation radiation . The annihilation of a nucleon with its antiparticle generates several pions

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Etymology

Origin of annihilation

First recorded in 1630–40; from French or directly from Late Latin annihilātiōn- (stem of annihilātiō ); see origin at annihilate, -ion

Explanation

Annihilation is the total destruction of something. In World War II, our nuclear bombs resulted in the annihilation of Hiroshima. If you spill milk on your textbooks, it won’t result in annihilation — this word is much more serious. After an annihilation, there's nothing left but total, horrific destruction, like a wild fire completely wiping out a forest or a tsunami sweeping away a seaside town. This word has an end-of-the-world feel to it: many religions have stories of annihilation of some sort, resulting in the end of everything.

Example Sentences

Some gamers also welcomed the involvement of A24, which has previously worked with Garland on films including Annihilation, Men and Civil War.

From BBC • May 23, 2025

Similar mysteries occur in “The Annihilation of Fish”: Each time Fish hurls that imaginary demon out the window of his second-story apartment, the tree below inexplicably shakes briefly.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 20, 2025

Writer/director Alex Garland's "Men," which opened last week, may be the filmmaker's most complex work — and that is saying something given that his last two features were "Ex Machina" and "Annihilation."

From Salon • May 22, 2022

Things start out rather quaint and cozy in the latest trailer for Men — directed by Alex Garland, best known for his work on Annihilation and Ex Machina — but that feeling doesn’t last long.

From The Verge • Mar. 23, 2022

Avoiding the Sphere of Annihilation located at the end of the corridor, I located a hidden door beside the last pit trap.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• decimation
• demolition
• destruction
• elimination
• eradication
• extermination
• extinction
• liquidation