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- Dictionarydecimation/ˌdɛsɪˈmeɪʃn/
noun
- 1. the killing or destruction of a large proportion of a group or species: "our growing hunger for fish has resulted in the decimation of fish stocks"
- 2. the killing of one in every ten of a group of people as a punishment for the whole group (originally with reference to a mutinous Roman legion). historical
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DECIMATION definition: 1. the act of killing a something in large numbers, or reducing something severely: 2. the act of…. Learn more.
1. : to select by lot and kill every tenth man of. decimate a regiment. 2. : to exact a tax of 10 percent from. poor as a decimated Cavalier John Dryden. 3. a. : to reduce drastically especially in number.
the act or practice of killing one-tenth of a population, as a punishment, to cull wild animals, or for other purposes: The Roman Empire used decimation, executing 1 in 10 people—ordinary citizens, slaves, or soldiers—to quell mutinies, riots, and other uprisings. Discover More.
DECIMATION meaning: 1. the act of killing a something in large numbers, or reducing something severely: 2. the act of…. Learn more.
Decimation is the near-total destruction of a group, like the decimation of the candy bars that your brother was selling for school. Sorry, little brother! Decimation implies that nearly all of a population has been destroyed or killed.
a. To inflict great destruction or damage on: The storm decimated the region. b. To reduce markedly in amount: a profligate heir who decimated his trust fund. 3. To select by lot and kill one in every ten of (a group of soldiers).
noun. 1. the act of destroying or killing a large proportion of a group or population. 2. in ancient Rome, the practice of killing every tenth man in a mutinous section of the army. The word decimation is derived from decimate, shown below. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. decimate in British English. (ˈdɛsɪˌmeɪt )
