self-destruction

American  

[self-di-struhk-shuhn, self-] / ˈsɛlf dɪˈstrʌk ʃən, ˌsɛlf- /

noun

1. the destruction or ruination of oneself or one's life.

2. suicide.

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self-destruction British  

noun

1. the act or an instance of self-destructing

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Etymology

Origin of self-destruction

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

Europe’s savage self-destruction reunited techne and themis: the technologies of the Industrial Revolution and the ideologies of the French Revolution.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 13, 2026

This is a losing battle by definition, one that testifies to the nihilistic self-hatred and appetite for self-destruction that Baudrillard observed in 2002.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

"Because the war can last for a long time while the self-destruction happens after three to four months. It makes sense of the humanitarian side, not on the military side."

From Barron's • Feb. 6, 2026

What emerges is an unvarnished chronicle: flashes of vision and vulnerability, spectacle and self-destruction, all captured through the lens of a young cameraman embedded in Ye’s orbit.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2025

The home planet of an emerging technical civilization, struggling to avoid self-destruction.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan