perdition

noun per·di·tion \ pər-ˈdi-shən \

Definition of perdition

1 a archaic :utter destruction

b obsolete :loss

2 a :eternal damnation

b :hell

See perdition defined for English-language learners

See perdition defined for kids

perdition was our Word of the Day on 12/11/2011. Hear the podcast!

Examples of perdition in a Sentence

sinners condemned to eternal perdition
simple stupidity is not enough to doom one to perdition

Recent Examples of perdition from the Web

As the symbolism abounds on this dusty road to perdition, the excesses of the piece invite the actors to indulgent performances.

— theodore p. mahne, NOLA.com, "Tennessee Williams' 'Camino Real' a wild dream that will jolt audiences," 31 July 2017
Moss’s factual, point-by-point analysis of New York’s perdition is based in context: Like the city, each event, person, and place exists in relation to what stands before, after, and beside it.

— amy rose spiegel, New Republic, "Who Killed New York City?," 27 July 2017
Critics can, however, do a certain amount of good on their way to perdition.

— alex ross, The New Yorker, "The Fate of the Critic in the Clickbait Age," 13 Mar. 2017
Part of Sookee’s journey is one from perdition into opulence, from a lowly thieves’ den into the sumptuousness of the mansion.

— manohla dargis, New York Times, "Review: ‘The Handmaiden’ Explores Confinement in Rich, Erotic Textures," 20 Oct. 2016
My road to perdition was the seemingly noble cause of doing computer science research in the real world.

— bruce sterling, WIRED, "Programmers Should Stop Being Such Smart-Alecks," 9 June 2010

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'perdition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Perdition began life as a word meaning "utter destruction"; that sense is now archaic, but it provides a clue about the origins of the word. "Perdition" was borrowed into English in the 14th century from Anglo-French perdiciun and ultimately derives from the Latin verb perdere, meaning "to destroy." "Perdere" was formed by combining the prefix per- ("through") and "dare" ("to give"). Other descendants of that Latin dare in English include "date," "edition," "render," and "traitor."

Origin and Etymology of perdition

Middle English perdicion, from Anglo-French perdiciun, Late Latin perdition-, perditio, from Latin perdere to destroy, from per- through + dare to give — more at per-, date

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year