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Synonyms

decommission

American  
[dee-kuh-mish-uhn] / ˌdi kəˈmɪʃ ən /

verb (used with object)

  • decommissions,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • decommissioned,
    past participle,  past
  • decommissioning
    present participle
  1. to remove or retire (a ship, airplane, etc.) from active service.

  2. to deactivate; shut down.

    to decommission a nuclear power plant.


decommission British  
/ ˌdiːkəˈmɪʃən /

verb

  1. (tr) to dismantle or remove from service (a nuclear reactor, weapon, ship, etc which is no longer required)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of decommission

First recorded in 1925–30; de- + commission

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.

See Examples For:

It will also administer and implement a process to decommission and store heavy weapons, military production sites, depots of weapons, and tunnels.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 31, 2026

The roadmap lays out a process to decommission and store Hamas's heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots and tunnels, to be implemented by NCAG.

From Barron's Jul. 31, 2026

The committee is in the early stages of setting up a new police force that is meant to decommission Hamas’s weapons once the militant group agrees to hand them over.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 10, 2026

Starmer's gifted firearm has been left with British officials in Turkey, and they are expected to decommission it so it can no longer fire live rounds.

From BBC Jul. 8, 2026

Cembalest highlights research undertaken by JPMorgan that scrutinized the costs incurred to the German economy stemming from its decision to decommission its nuclear power plants after the Fukushima incident.

From MarketWatch Mar. 9, 2026

Florida-based Holtec makes equipment to store nuclear waste and decommissions existing nuclear plants.

From Barron's Feb. 9, 2026

"The volume of material is enormous compared to past decommissions."

From Scientific American Apr. 29, 2011

They noted that a nearby oil rig, Platform Grace, has already ceased operating due to declining production and is now being decommissioned.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 14, 2026

Earlier, a diplomatic source told AFP that the roadmap "offers a balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities" to the new authorities.

From Barron's Jul. 31, 2026

The project is located on a decommissioned uranium-enrichment site on federal land in southern Ohio, and the campus would require 10 gigawatts of electricity.

From MarketWatch Jul. 27, 2026

Scientists from around the world have been working on turning decommissioned blades into other useful products.

From BBC Jul. 4, 2026

So now the soldiers round up the old village ladies, young mothers with their hair curled and pinned, wounded and decommissioned German soldiers.

From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper

He said the deal takes "a step-by-step approach" meaning: "If there is verified decommissioning of weapons, that they are taken away from the factions and stored and ultimately rendered unusable, Israel then withdraws from Gaza."

From BBC Aug. 10, 2026

Continental Development executive Bob Tarnofsky said the team learned about “previously undisclosed higher decommissioning and demolition costs, a more complicated approval process, and greater environmental risk mitigation” after submitting the proposal.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 9, 2026

In Slovakia, it has a joint venture with the state-owned nuclear decommissioning company.

From The Wall Street Journal May 27, 2026

It is also a cornerstone of the country's economy, employing more than 90,000 people, making decommissioning plans a divisive issue.

From Barron's Apr. 22, 2026

Before decommissioning in November 1944, the Sea Cloud served on ocean weather stations off the coasts of Greenland, Newfoundland, and France.

From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by Morris J. MacGregor

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