demolition

American  

[dem-uh-lish-uhn, dee-muh-] / ˌdɛm əˈlɪʃ ən, ˌdi mə- /

noun

• demolitions
  plural

1. an act or instance of demolishing.

2. the state of being demolished; destruction.

3. destruction or demolishment by explosives.

4. demolitions, explosives, especially as used in war.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or working with explosives.

   A demolition squad attempted to blow up the bridge before the enemy captured it.

2. of or relating to tearing down or demolishing.

   Demolition work had begun on the old building.

demolition British  

/ ˌdɛməˈlɪʃən, ˌdiː- /

noun

1. the act of demolishing or state of being demolished

2. military

   1. destruction by explosives

   2. ( as modifier )

      a demolition charge

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• demolitionist
  noun
• nondemolition
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• demolitions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of demolition

1540–50; < Latin dēmōlītiōn- (stem of dēmōlītiō ), equivalent to dēmōlīt ( us ) (past participle of dēmōlīrī; see demolish) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

Demolition is the act of knocking something down or totally destroying it. It's what construction crews do with sledgehammers and wrecking balls. Not for the faint of heart, demolition usually involves explosives, bulldozers and lots of dust and debris. The act of demolishing something could be seen as a good stress reliever though, if plowing through drywall or mowing over shrubbery is your kind of thing. Or perhaps you could join "a demolition crew," hired to send the wrecking ball though buildings big and small.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

demolition demolitions

A federal judge ordered Kennedy Center leaders to provide 30 days’ notice before any changes, including demolition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Wakefield's stunning semi-final win over Wigan set tongues wagging across rugby league and beyond, particularly given the nature of the demolition job delivered by Daryl Powell's side to the treble-chasers.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

A second fire broke out at the site in September, during continuing cleanup and demolition, after hundreds of still-energized batteries spontaneously ignited.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026

The demolition has begun at Bengaluru's Urvashi Cinema, once a 1,200-seat movie palace where generations of filmgoers cheered and whistled, another casualty of India's vanishing single-screen era.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

But the library’s demolition also meant that those of you who are now twelve years old have lived your entire lives without a public library.”

From "Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library" by Chris Grabenstein

"Whenever someone loses their homes to demolitions, neighbours and families come to help them build new shelters. The fact that we all live close to each other helps," Emar said.

From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 2026

In a 2-1 ruling, the court said that only Congress, not the president acting alone, can approve demolitions or design changes to the White House.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

There are strict rules in California around the purchasing of dynamite, which is generally restricted to licensed professionals working in mining and quarry operations, building demolitions, tunneling projects and specialized industrial activities.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026

Authorities say such demolitions are meant to deter militancy, but critics call them collective punishment.

From BBC ● Apr. 24, 2026

Two of the most publicized demolitions — Lexington Terrace in West Baltimore and Lafayette Courts in East Baltimore — were huge projects, housing hundreds of families, that served as centers for crime and infectious disease.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Related Words

• annihilation
• explosion