decommission

American  

[dee-kuh-mish-uhn] / ˌdi kəˈmɪʃ ən /

verb (used with object)

1. to remove or retire (a ship, airplane, etc.) from active service.

2. to deactivate; shut down.

   to decommission a nuclear power plant.

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decommission British  

/ ˌdiːkəˈmɪʃən /

verb

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

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Etymology

Origin of decommission

First recorded in 1925–30; de- + commission

Example Sentences

Last week, a Hamas delegation met Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo to give its initial response to a proposal from the US-led Board of Peace for Palestinian groups to decommission their weapons.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

Germany’s decision in the wake of the Fukushima disaster to decommission its nuclear-energy program may have raised electricity prices by 25%.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 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

There, the conservation law swiftly came into conflict with a massive project to decommission thousands of septic tanks and replace them with a sewer system.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 30, 2025

But Japan needs the land occupied by the tanks to build new facilities to safely decommission the plant - and in 2023, it began releasing some of this treated wastewater into the ocean.

From BBC • Jul. 30, 2025