destruction

[dih-struhk-shuhn]

noun

1. the act of destroying.

   wanton destruction of a town.

2. the condition of being destroyed; demolition; annihilation.

3. a cause or means of destroying.

destruction

/ dɪˈstrʌkʃən /

noun

1. the act of destroying or state of being destroyed; demolition

2. a cause of ruin or means of destroying

Other Word Forms

• nondestruction noun
• predestruction noun
• semidestruction noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of destruction¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of destruction¹

C14: from Latin dēstructiō a pulling down; see _destroy

Synonym Study

See ruin.

Example Sentences

And that doesn’t even include the administration’s actual destruction of edible food.

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Mr Ford-Dunn said no financial penalty could ever "match the destruction that has been caused".

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"We need to not only replace the islets that have been lost but also reset the recipient's immune system to prevent ongoing islet cell destruction. Creating a hybrid immune system accomplishes both goals."

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Pavements remain scarred by bullet holes and ruined buildings still line many streets, but the city's cacophony is now one of construction, not destruction.

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Nelson was still married in 2020 when the fertility clinic called her at work with devastating news: Her husband had just requested the destruction of the embryos they created through in vitro fertilization, or IVF.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• annihilation 
• carnage 
• elimination 
• eradication 
• extermination www.thesaurus.com
• extinction 
• loss 
• massacre 
• murder 
• ruin 
• slaughter