decommission

verb

de·​com·​mis·​sion ˌdē-kə-ˈmi-shən 

decommissioned; decommissioning; decommissions

transitive verb

: to remove (something, such as a ship or a nuclear power plant) from service

Examples of decommission in a Sentence

Several military bases are scheduled to be decommissioned.

The government is decommissioning the nuclear power plant.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to a 2024 study, of 204 reactors that have been closed, only 11 plants with a capacity over 100 megawatts have been fully decommissioned, and 200 more reactors will reach the end of their lifetimes in the next 20 years. —Katherine Bourzac, IEEE Spectrum, 2 Apr. 2026

The tunnels have since been decommissioned and cleaned out for use as a training facility — in this case, an underground field hospital. —Chelsea Torres, FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2026

The bright red Asbury Park Wheel was an iconic staple of the Jersey Shore for nearly a century before it was decommissioned in 1988. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 1 Apr. 2026

The Gambrinus Company will be decommissioning the Berkeley brewery. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for decommission

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

Kids Definition

decommission

verb

de·​com·​mis·​sion ˌdē-kə-ˈmish-ən 

: to remove (as a ship) from use or service