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View synonyms for decimate

decimate

[ des-uh-meyt ]

verb (used with object)

, dec·i·mat·ed, dec·i·mat·ing.
  1. to kill or destroy a great number or proportion of:

    The population was decimated by a plague.

  2. to greatly reduce in number or amount:

    From 1975-1981, our country was not driving the space exploration agenda, and our aerospace workforce was decimated.

  3. to cause to suffer great loss or harm:

    The constant eruptions that spewed forth decimated the forest and turned it to ash.

  4. to select by lot and kill every tenth person of.
  5. Obsolete. to take a tenth of or from.


decimate

/ ˈdɛsɪˌmeɪt /

verb

  1. to destroy or kill a large proportion of

    a plague decimated the population

  2. (esp in the ancient Roman army) to kill every tenth man of (a mutinous section)


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Usage

One talks about the whole of something being decimated, not a part: disease decimated the population, not disease decimated most of the population

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Derived Forms

  • ˈdeciˌmator, noun
  • ˌdeciˈmation, noun

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Other Words From

  • dec·i·ma·tion [des-, uh, -, mey, -sh, uh, n], noun
  • dec·i·ma·tor noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of decimate1

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin decimātus, past participle of decimāre “to punish every tenth man chosen by lot,” verbal derivative of decimus “tenth,” derivative of decem “ten”; ten, -ate 1

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Word History and Origins

Origin of decimate1

C17: from Latin decimāre, from decimus tenth, from decem ten

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Example Sentences

And now, the plan is not only to decimate public-sector unions, but all unions—to deplete the money they can spend on politics.

And, from the south, chronic wasting disease is poised to decimate the elk herds.

When we decimate the funding for hospital preparedness, we put ourselves in great peril.

Instead we must decimate the mid-level leadership ISIS relies on.

One set of officials advocated for a campaign to decimate ISIS in both countries by striking ISIS targets across Syria.

These are the dreaded wild dogs which decimate the game in the jungle.

Soon the artillery of both armies opened, and a rain of cannon balls began to decimate the opposing ranks.

This was an ominous hint that he intended to decimate them, after the fashion of Field-Marshal Liposcak.

One might easily decimate a whole population, as indeed happened in the South Sea Islands when smallpox was introduced.

Our men continued to decimate the enemy so thoroughly that they had scarcely five men on deck alive or unwounded.

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decimal systemdecimated