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
Perry Vandell, AZCentral.com, 14 July 2025
Yet, his performance is a bit overshadowed by the impact of Robert De Niro as Ernest's malevolent uncle and particularly Lily Gladstone as his wife, Mollie, who sees her entire family decimated and nearly becomes a victim herself.
—Derek Lawrence, EW.com, 13 July 2025
Use floating row covers over seedlings and susceptible crops such as eggplants, which can be decimated by flea beetles.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 11 July 2025
Since then, things have progressed at breakneck speed, with the hiring of a new coaching staff and rebuilding of a roster decimated by the transfer portal following the departure of coach Gus Malzahn.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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decimate
verb
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