decimation
5
8.4
- noun
- /ˌdɛsɪˈmeɪʃən/
- NSFW
:
decimación
- The worldwide exploitation of hawksbills for their shells hastened the decimation of this species.
- the decimation of a people
The complete decimation of the structure of work as we know it.
- The complete decimation of the structure of work as we know it.
Examples
-
In just a few months, the result was a large-scale stand-down of the Sunni insurgency and the decimation of AQI throughout western and central Iraq.
Academic text (2008) -
Economic policies led to the decimation of small businesses across the region.
-
Do you see this as a decimation of the organization?
-
Some think it's because they all got killed... but I think it's from the decimation... of urban manufacturing bases.
-
The next step is WWIII with Russia and China, and the decimation of a world population.
Blog text (5) -
Biodiversity: To maintain global biodiversity, all species must be protected against extinction or decimation.
Academic text (1994) -
For the Taino, political disintegration and the decimation of the population occurred simultaneously.
Academic text (1990) -
The decimation of the population during the war left entire cities abandoned.
-
The virus caused the decimation of the local wildlife, dramatically reducing their numbers.
Synonyms
150
4.4
The dying out of a species so it no longer exists
147
7.7
Killing many people on purpose because they are the same race, country, or religion
110
4.3
Great damage to a wide area often caused by war or a big disaster
47
8.1
Complete destruction so nothing is left
32
7.4
A complete killing or removal of a group of living things
19
6.8
Complete removal of something unwanted
6
7.9
Complete destruction that leaves nothing behind
4
7.2
A decrease in the number of people living in a place
3
6.3
Complete destruction that leaves nothing left
2
8.8
Killing people for political or criminal reasons
1
4.8
Damage across a large area that destroys buildings and homes
1
4.4
A complete tearing down of a building or other structure
The act of destroying something so it is completely ruined
Antonyms
How Destructive
Surface Forms
Morphology
decimation = decimate (semi-transparent) = decim + ation
Formed regularly from the verb 'decimate' with the noun-forming suffix '-ation', but the base 'decimate' and its root 'decim-' are historically and semantically shifted (literal 'one in ten' vs modern 'large proportion'), so the relation is not fully transparent to learners.
Etymology
Decimation comes from the Latin decimare, which meant 'to take a tenth', and from decem 'ten', the same root as decimal and decade. In Roman times commanders punished groups by killing one in ten soldiers, so decimation now means the killing or destruction of a large part of a group.