decimate

1 of 2

verb

dec·​i·​mate ˈde-sə-ˌmāt 

decimated; decimating

transitive verb

1

history : to select by lot and kill every tenth member 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

An outbreak of 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

A fire decimated the city.

an industry decimated by recession

decimation

ˌde-sə-ˈmā-shən 

noun

decimation

2 of 2

noun

dec·​i·​ma·​tion ˌde-sə-ˈmā-shən 

plural -s

1

a

: the taking of tithes or of a tax of one tenth

b

: the tithe or tax taken

2

: a selection of every tenth person

especially : selection by lot for punishment with death

3

: the destruction of a considerable part : reduction to the point of almost complete extermination

decimation of the forest Indians, brought about by disease

—Farley Mowat

4

a

: the act of decimating cryptographically

b

: the new sequence resulting from decimating

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.

Synonyms of decimate

Verb

• destroy
• devastate
• ruin
• demolish
• shatter
• wreck
• smash

Examples of decimate in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Isn’t this boycott and those fears decimating Israeli cinema? —Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 18 June 2026

Lawyers claimed the fight had turned existential with the measure threatening to decimate the profit margin of many personal injury cases and leave drivers with small or thorny cases unable to find an attorney willing to take their case. —Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2026

The disease decimated not only crowded cities, but also small, nomadic hunter-gatherer groups. —ABC News, 17 June 2026

Check Regularly for Pests and Disease Japanese beetles can decimate zinnias seemingly overnight. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 17 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

Noun

Late Latin decimation-, decimatio, from Latin decimatus (past participle of decimare to pay as a tithe, select by lot and kill every tenth man of) + -ion-, -io -ion

First Known Use

Verb

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for decimate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate
• angulate

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Kids Definition

decimate

verb

dec·​i·​mate ˈdes-ə-ˌmāt 

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

ˌdes-ə-ˈmā-shən 

noun