verb

decimate

DEH-sih-mayt

Decimate (verb) means to destroy or reduce a large part of something. Example: “The wildfire decimated the local wildlife population.”

verb

To destroy or reduce a large part of something.

"The wildfire decimated the local wildlife population."

"Cheap imports decimated the domestic textile industry."

Historically, to kill one in every ten of a group, especially as a punishment carried out in the Roman army.

"According to legend, the legion was decimated after the mutiny."

How to use decimate

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo wipe out a huge portion of something — used loosely today to mean "devastate" rather than the strict "one in ten."

Common mistake

Traditionalists insist "decimate" should only mean reducing by exactly one-tenth, but modern usage almost always means "destroy a large part of" — both are acceptable in current English.

Common pairings

decimate the population decimate an industry decimated by disease

Word forms

decimated past tense, decimates plural, decimates singular

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The wildfire _____ the local wildlife population.

Etymology

From Latin decimare, "to take a tenth" or "to punish by killing one in ten" — from decimus, "tenth." The word originally referred to this specific Roman military punishment before broadening to mean severe destruction generally.

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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eliminate eradicate annihilate extinguish wipe out carry off

Related words

kill remove manage destroy rid delete generate eliminate

Rhymes for decimate

ate date rate mate fate abate slate plate state grate create update

See all rhymes for decimate →

Frequently asked questions

What does “decimate” mean?

The word “decimate” means to destroy or reduce a large part of something. In plain terms, to wipe out a huge portion of something — used loosely today to mean "devastate" rather than the strict "one in ten.".

How do you pronounce “decimate”?

“Decimate” is pronounced DEH-sih-mayt (/ˈdɛsəmeɪt/ in IPA).

How do you use “decimate” in a sentence?

Here is “decimate” used in a sentence: “The wildfire decimated the local wildlife population.”

What part of speech is “decimate”?

“Decimate” is a verb.

Where does the word “decimate” come from?

The word “decimate” comes from Latin.

How many meanings does “decimate” have?

“Decimate” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to destroy or reduce a large part of something.

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