Definition of desolation
1
: the action of desolating
the pitiful desolation and slaughter of World War I— D. F. Fleming
b
: loneliness
3
: devastation, ruin
a scene of utter desolation
4
: barren wasteland
looked out across the desolation
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for desolation
The first known use of desolation was in the 14th century
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