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demolition

[ dem-uh-lish-uhn, dee-muh- ]
/ ˌdɛm əˈlɪʃ ən, ˌdi mə- /
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noun
an act or instance of demolishing.
the state of being demolished; destruction.
destruction or demolishment by explosives.
demolitions, explosives, especially as used in war.
adjective
of, relating to, or working with explosives: A demolition squad attempted to blow up the bridge before the enemy captured it.
of or relating to tearing down or demolishing: Demolition work had begun on the old building.
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Origin of demolition

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

OTHER WORDS FROM demolition

dem·o·li·tion·ist, nounnon·dem·o·li·tion, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use demolition in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for demolition

demolition
/ (ˌdɛməˈlɪʃən, ˌdiː-) /

noun
the act of demolishing or state of being demolished
mainly military
  1. destruction by explosives
  2. (as modifier)a demolition charge

Derived forms of demolition

demolitionist, noun, adjective
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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