destruction

American  

[dih-struhk-shuhn] / dɪˈstrʌk ʃən /

noun

• destructions
  plural

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.

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destruction British  

/ dɪˈstrʌkʃən /

noun

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

2. a cause of ruin or means of destroying

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Synonym Usage

See ruin.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondestruction
  noun
• predestruction
  noun
• semidestruction
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• destructions
  plural

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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; see destroy) + -iōn- -ion

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Explanation

Destruction is damage so bad, things must be replaced, not fixed. Tornadoes often leave a trail of destruction, damaging neighborhoods and knocking down houses. The Latin word destructionem, "a pulling down," is the root of destruction. When destruction strikes, things do get pulled down — from houses in the case of natural disasters or a big display of canned soups in the case of a careless shopper. Sometimes, destruction refers to death, as when critics of war talk about the resulting destruction of human life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

destruction destructions

Sure, this technology is nifty, even as it comes with an enormous environmental destruction.

From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026

The authorities have promised to pursue those responsible for the destruction.

From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026

Muse’s launch also coincided almost exactly with a sharp rise in public debate about the potential for powerful AI to cause mass destruction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

But drought, pesticides and habitat destruction triggered an unprecedented collapse that began in 2017, eventually wiping out an estimated 99.5 percent of the Bogong moth population.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Chattana had always been isolated from its neighbors, but the destruction was so great that no one could have helped them anyway.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

Renewed tensions in the Middle East since July and destructions of refining capacity in Russia have raised energy costs again, in particular gas prices, leading to higher inflation and central-bank rate-rise expectations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

As Perry noted, pesticides are not alone in targeting sperm for destructions.

From Salon ● Nov. 16, 2023

Podolyak added that the barrage was “an undeniable manifestation” of Russia’s “terrorist activity, legally documented by numerous destructions and victims.”

From Washington Times ● Aug. 15, 2023

This means that the two destructions cannot be related to the same event,” Dr. Ben-Yosef said.

From New York Times ● Dec. 20, 2022

Life's chief destructions are in the city of man's soul.

From A Man's Value to Society Studies in Self Culture and Character by Newell Dwight Hillis

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Related Words

• annihilation
• carnage
• elimination
• eradication
• extermination
• extinction
• loss
• massacre
• murder
• ruin
• slaughter

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