destruction

[dih-struhk-shuh n]

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noun

the act of destroying: wanton destruction of a town.

the condition of being destroyed; demolition; annihilation.

a cause or means of destroying.

Origin of destruction

1275–1325; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin dēstructiōn- (stem of dēstructiō), equivalent to dēstruct(us) (past participle of dēstruere; see destroy) + -iōn- -ion

Related formsnon·de·struc·tion, nounpre·de·struc·tion, nounsem·i·de·struc·tion, noun

Synonyms for destruction

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1. See ruin.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for destruction

loss, murder, eradication, ruin, massacre, slaughter, annihilation, extermination, elimination, extinction, carnage, ruination, undoing, liquidation, downfall, end, wrecking, havoc, subversion, overthrow

Examples from the Web for destruction

Contemporary Examples of destruction

And the Gävle Goat, apparently a sensitive creature, took the destruction hard.
Sweden’s Burning Christmas Goat
Nina Strochlic
December 25, 2014
Gävle Goat must be dreading the imminent holiday and his fifty-fifty chance of destruction.
Sweden’s Burning Christmas Goat
Nina Strochlic
December 25, 2014
And suddenly you were in the throes of both creation and destruction.
Is Bigger Better for St. Vincent?
David Yaffe
December 4, 2014
The F4 twister cut a long swath of destruction that crossed just four blocks from my house.
Heed the Warnings: Why We’re on the Brink of Mass Extinction
Sean B. Carroll
November 30, 2014
Third, the destruction: These hedge-fund managers want to eliminate all limits and oversight of charter schools.
Hunger Games Comes to New York State’s Public Schools
Zephyr Teachout
November 26, 2014

Historical Examples of destruction

This time the Romans decided to be thorough in their work of destruction.
Ancient Man
Hendrik Willem van Loon
The unfit brought in for strength are weakness and destruction.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald
When the fire was vanquished, it had practically completed its work of destruction.
Yorkshire Painted And Described
Gordon Home
As for that precocious damsel, she would run no least risk of destruction by the satyr.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
All that fiendish cruelty and the demon of destruction could do was done.
The Roof of France
Matilda Betham-Edwards

British Dictionary definitions for destruction

destruction

noun

the act of destroying or state of being destroyed; demolition

a cause of ruin or means of destroying

Word Origin for destruction

C14: from Latin dēstructiō a pulling down; see destroy

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

Word Origin and History for destruction

early 14c., from Old French destruction (12c.) and directly from Latin destructionem (nominative destructio) "a pulling down, destruction," from past participle stem of destruere "tear down" (see destroy).