Decimation

/ˌdɛsɪˈmeɪʃən/ · noun

Meaning

(Ancient Rome, strictly) The killing or punishment of every tenth person, usually by lot..

Definitions by Sense

1. (Ancient Rome, strictly) The killing or punishment of every tenth person, usually by lot.
2. (generally) The killing or destruction of any large portion of a population.
3. A tithe or the act of tithing.
4. (mathematics) The creation of a new sequence comprising only every nth element of a source sequence.

Example Sentences

By decimation and a tythed death; / If thy Reuenges hunger for that Food, / Which Nature loathes, take thou the deſtin'd tenth, […]

And the vvhole Army had cauſe to enquire into their own Rebellions, vvhen they ſavv the Lord of Hoſts, vvith a dreadful Decimation, taking off ſo many of our Brethren by the vvorſt of Executioners.

General Secretary Mick Lynch said: "It is crystal clear that the planned cutbacks on ScotRail and SWR are just the tip of the iceberg, as cynical employers use the cloak of COVID-19 to smuggle through the decimation of jobs and services on Britain's railways.

Synonyms for decimation

Antonyms for decimation

Related Words

Word Forms

• decimations

Usage Notes

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