decimate
verb
John DrydenJason Diamos
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
Rachana Pradhan, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
Our forces have struck hundreds of targets and decimated Houthi leadership, substantially reducing their capabilities and the threat to U.S. ships in the Red Sea and across and through the BAM (Bab al Mandab Strait).
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
The bill comes at a time when the Trump administration has decimated the National Park Service, directed the Environmental Protection Agency to roll back environmental regulations, and tried to revoke billions in climate change-combatting programs.
—India Nye Wenner, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2025
But the introduction of the invasive brown tree snake, which wreaked havoc on the island’s native animals, decimated the species.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for decimate
Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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decimate
verb
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