decommission

American  

[dee-kuh-mish-uhn] / ˌdi kəˈmɪʃ ən /

verb (used with object)

• decommissions,
  present (3rd person singular)
• decommissioned,
  past participle,  past
• decommissioning
  present participle

1. to remove or retire (a ship, airplane, etc.) from active service.

2. to deactivate; shut down.

   to decommission a nuclear power plant.

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decommission British  

/ ˌdiːkəˈmɪʃən /

verb

1. (tr) to dismantle or remove from service (a nuclear reactor, weapon, ship, etc which is no longer required)

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• decommissioning
  present
• decommissioned
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• decommission
  simple
• decommissions
  simple
• have decommissioned
  perfect
• has decommissioned
  perfect
• am decommissioning
  progressive
• are decommissioning
  progressive
• is decommissioning
  progressive
• have been decommissioning
  perfect progressive
• has been decommissioning
  perfect progressive

Past

• decommissioned
  simple
• had decommissioned
  perfect
• was decommissioning
  progressive
• were decommissioning
  progressive
• had been decommissioning
  perfect progressive

Future

• will decommission
  simple
• will have decommissioned
  perfect
• will be decommissioning
  progressive
• will have been decommissioning
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of decommission

First recorded in 1925–30; de- + commission

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

decommission decommissions decommissioned decommissioning

It will also administer and implement a process to decommission and store heavy weapons, military production sites, depots of weapons, and tunnels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

The roadmap lays out a process to decommission and store Hamas's heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots and tunnels, to be implemented by NCAG.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Legacy sales slid 26% due to lower demand as the company continues to decommission its copper-based network, while Latin America revenue rose 16%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

In March, the High Representative for Gaza on the Board of Peace, Nickolay Mladenov, laid out a detailed plan for Palestinian armed groups to decommission their weapons, starting with rockets, explosives and assault rifles.

From BBC ● May 7, 2026

Cembalest highlights research undertaken by JPMorgan that scrutinized the costs incurred to the German economy stemming from its decision to decommission its nuclear power plants after the Fukushima incident.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 9, 2026

Florida-based Holtec makes equipment to store nuclear waste and decommissions existing nuclear plants.

From Barron's ● Feb. 9, 2026

"The volume of material is enormous compared to past decommissions."

From Scientific American ● Apr. 29, 2011

Earlier, a diplomatic source told AFP that the roadmap "offers a balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities" to the new authorities.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Scientists from around the world have been working on turning decommissioned blades into other useful products.

From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026

In Homer City, Pa., a data-center complex is being built—complete with a natural-gas power plant—on the site of a decommissioned coal-fired power plant.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

After Route 66 was decommissioned as a highway in 1985, about 85% of the old route remained in use, often as small-town thoroughfares, country highways and frontage roads alongside Interstate 40.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026

A regular, nondescript conventional train that has probably been decommissioned, since California rail has gone high-speed.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed

Kushner pressed Hamas to take the first concrete steps toward transferring authority to a new civilian body and decommissioning its weapons to push forward the plan, the people said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

He became one of the UUP's biggest critics of the deal over issues like the IRA's decommissioning of weapons, warning his then leader David Trimble against supporting it.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

“I will advance renewable energy, import less foreign fuel and stop decommissioning of hydro and nuclear power. However, many current initiatives have unintended consequences, and my plan focuses on incentives, not mandates,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2026

It is also a cornerstone of the country's economy, employing more than 90,000 people, making decommissioning plans a divisive issue.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

Before decommissioning in November 1944, the Sea Cloud served on ocean weather stations off the coasts of Greenland, Newfoundland, and France.

From Integration of the Armed Forces, 1940-1965 by Morris J. MacGregor