decimate

verb

dec·​i·​mate ˈde-sə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
decimated; decimating

transitive verb

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 CavalierJohn Dryden
3
a
: to reduce drastically especially in number
cholera decimated the population
Kamieniecki's return comes at a crucial time for a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries.Jason Diamos
b
: to cause great destruction or harm to
firebombs decimated the city
an industry decimated by recession
decimation noun

Did you know?

Decimate is a word that often raises hackles, at least those belonging to a small but committed group of logophiles who feel that it is commonly misused. The issue that they have with the decline and fall of the word decimate is that once upon a time in ancient Rome it had a very singular meaning: “to select by lot and kill every tenth man of a military unit.” However, many words in English descended from Latin have changed and/or expanded their meanings in their travels. For example, we no longer think of sinister as meaning “on the left side,” and delicious can describe things both tasty and delightful. Was the “to kill every tenth man” meaning the original use of decimate in English? Yes, but not by much. It took only a few decades for decimate to acquire its broader, familiar meaning of “to severely damage or destroy,” which has been employed steadily since the 17th century.

Examples of decimate in a Sentence

This kind of moth is responsible for decimating thousands of trees in our town. Budget cuts have decimated public services in small towns.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mamdani win sends Dem shockwaves Shake Shack’s Dubai chocolate shake 🎤️ NATO SUMMIT The bee in Trump’s bonnet: The White House has spent today disputing several news outlets’ reporting that the U.S. strikes against Iran did not decimate the country’s nuclear program. Cate Martel, The Hill, 25 June 2025 While Trump has repeatedly claimed that the U.S. bombings of Iran on June 21 decimated the country's nuclear program, multiple outlets obtained a classified report this week that revealed the damage may have been much less severe. Meredith Kile, People.com, 25 June 2025 The program has been decimated, but that people who are in charge will come right back at Israel. Dan Gooding hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 June 2025 The missile decimated an apartment block and homes in this neighborhood, but there were no fatalities. CBS News, 22 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for decimate

Word History

Etymology

Latin decimatus, past participle of decimare, from decimus tenth, from decem ten

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decimate was in 1660

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Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

decimate

verb
dec·​i·​mate ˈdes-ə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
decimated; decimating
1
: to pick by lot and kill every tenth man of
the Roman army would decimate a legion for cowardice
2
: to destroy a large part of
a population decimated by an epidemic
decimation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on decimate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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