destruction
Americannoun
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the act of destroying.
wanton destruction of a town.
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the condition of being destroyed; demolition; annihilation.
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a cause or means of destroying.
noun
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the act of destroying or state of being destroyed; demolition
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a cause of ruin or means of destroying
Related Words
See ruin.
Other Word Forms
- nondestruction noun
- predestruction noun
- semidestruction noun
Etymology
Origin of destruction
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
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Deadly flooding in Indonesia has prompted unprecedented government action against companies accused of environmental destruction that worsened the disaster.
From Barron's
Hamed called it "methodical destruction", though the perpetrators remain unknown and there has been no investigation.
From Barron's
The Proliferation Security Initiative, created under President George W. Bush, sought to eliminate international trafficking in weapons and materials of mass destruction.
On the screen now, all the death and destruction was replaced by a grim-faced man sitting in what appeared to be a TV studio.
From Literature
To the most dominant Winter Olympian in history, it’s an opportunity for destruction.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
