decimation
Americannoun
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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.
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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.
Etymology
Origin of decimation
First recorded in 1450–1500, for an earlier sense; from Latin decimātiōn-, stem of decimātiō “a punishing of every tenth man”; see decimate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )
Explanation
Decimation is the near-total destruction of a group, like the decimation of the candy bars that your brother was selling for school. Sorry, little brother! Decimation implies that nearly all of a population has been destroyed or killed. You might be angry about the decimation of the rainforest in a region of South America or the decimation of the coral in a reef where you'd hoped to snorkel some day. This noun comes from a Late Latin root, decimationem, which means "removal of a tenth." In ancient Rome, decimation was a military punishment that involved killing one out of every ten soldiers.
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.
What is beyond doubt is the decimation of a family who have been a source of fascination and speculation in their native Norway and far beyond.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2025
“We’ve already seen major consequences from the decimation thus far,” Swain said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2025
She is one of nine players from outside California witnessing the decimation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 11, 2025
The destructive and life-threatening fires have caused near-total decimation of the Pacific Palisades.
From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2025
Similar questions arise for the decimation of many other native peoples by Eurasian germs, as well as for the decimation of would-be European conquistadores in the tropics of Africa and Asia.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
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.
