demolition

noun

de·​mo·​li·​tion ˌde-mə-ˈli-shən 

ˌdē-mə-

1

: the act of demolishing

especially : destruction in war by means of explosives

2

demolitions plural : explosives for destruction in war

demolitionist

ˌde-mə-ˈli-sh(ə-)nəst 

ˌdē-mə-

noun

Synonyms

• destruction
• devastation
• havoc
• extinction
• loss

Examples of demolition in a Sentence

The old factory is scheduled for demolition next week.

The demolitions should be complete by the end of the year.

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s how a lot of forgery demolitions get worked out. —JSTOR Daily, 16 Oct. 2025

Some demolition work began earlier this year on the site of the 1960s-era shopping center, which included a Kroger grocery store, several other smaller businesses and a large parking lot. —Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Oct. 2025

Still, Sheffield credited herself with pushing the administration to ensure the hiring mandate applied to demolition projects. —Violet Ikonomova, Freep.com, 15 Oct. 2025

Past the dining area is the rest of the former 5G apartment, with a wine cooler and custom storage built into a recessed area that was uncovered in the demolition. —Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 14 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Latin dēmōlītiōn-, dēmōlītiō, from dēmōlīrī "to throw down, pull down, demolish" + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of action nouns

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing demolition

• demolition derby

Rhymes for demolition

• abolition
• acquisition
• admonition
• ammunition
• apparition
• apposition
• coalition
• competition
• composition
• definition
• deglutition
• deposition

Kids Definition

demolition

noun

de·​mo·​li·​tion ˌdem-ə-ˈlish-ən 

ˌdē-mə-

: the act of demolishing

especially : destruction by means of explosives