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  

/ ˌdiː-, ˌdɛməˈlɪʃən /

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

"I've lived here for 40 years, I don't want a demolition," another woman said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

“A bridge empties when the tolls gets high enough — no demolition required.”

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Louisiana Department of Corrections, Tuesday’s second 6–3 demolition exercise.

From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026

The demolition began in September 2025 and is expected to take two years to complete.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

Fie would christen the building, which had been slated for demolition but featured sturdy concrete underpinnings, as the Radiation Laboratory.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

In the face of the huge damage in Nabatieh and other south Lebanon towns and villages, including where Israeli forces have carried out sweeping demolitions, Nasrallah still expressed hope of returning permanently.

From Barron's ● Jun. 15, 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

While the majority of the south is Shia, Farah said Israel's demolitions in Yarun have included "the church hall, a convent and the Saint George school".

From Barron's ● May 22, 2026

For example, the Detroit demolitions for a while were managed by an institution called the Detroit Land Bank Authority.

From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026

When he came up he saw that everybody—the ammo carriers, the demolitions guys, the machine gunners, everybody—they were all dropping everything into the water and going under like Ishmael.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson

Related Words

• annihilation
• explosion