decimation
Americannoun
-
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.
-
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”; decimate ( def. ), -ion ( def. )
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.
The valley was already getting 5,000 visitors a year, and he feared its decimation was inevitable.
From Los Angeles Times
On a stretch of the Klamath River in Northern California, the Yurok Tribe has watched for years the decimation of the culturally significant salmon population.
From Seattle Times
At a time when democracy is under assault, the decimation of local media — often a community’s only source of professionally gathered news — has become more worrisome than ever.
From Los Angeles Times
The last example standing is also the most famous of them all: Anna Wintour, now as global chief content officer of Condé Nast, ironically presiding over the decimation of the job she defines.
From New York Times
The weakening of the rial has seen the value of the money Iranians hold in the bank collapse, as well as the decimation of retiree benefits.
From Seattle Times
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.
