decimate

verb

dec·​i·​mate ˈde-sə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
decimated; decimating

transitive verb

1
: to select by lot and kill every tenth man of
decimate a regiment
2
: to exact a tax of 10 percent from
poor as a decimated CavalierJohn Dryden
3
a
: to reduce drastically especially in number
cholera decimated the population
Kamieniecki's return comes at a crucial time for a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries.Jason Diamos
b
: to cause great destruction or harm to
firebombs decimated the city
an industry decimated by recession
decimation noun

Did you know?

The connection between decimate and the number ten harks back to a brutal practice of the army of ancient Rome. A unit that was guilty of a severe crime (such as mutiny) was punished by selecting and executing one-tenth of its soldiers, thereby scaring the remaining nine-tenths into obedience. The word comes from Latin decem, meaning "ten." Decimate strayed from its "tenth" meaning and nowadays refers to the act of destroying or hurting something in great numbers.

Examples of decimate in a Sentence

This kind of moth is responsible for decimating thousands of trees in our town. Budget cuts have decimated public services in small towns.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In September of last year, Israel launched an intense ground and aerial campaign, decimating the militant group’s leadership and killing more than 2,500 in the following months, according to the Lebanese health ministry. CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025 Sri Lankan vessels have historically targeted sharks in the country’s national waters, but as domestic stocks of sharks have been decimated, the Sri Lankan fleet moved into the high seas, areas including the Saya de Malha Bank. Ian Urbina, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2025 The problem is that their squad, decimated by injuries, has struggled to sustain the intensity needed — as evidenced by their 2-1 defeat by Chelsea in the Women’s Super League on Sunday. Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025 Dallas, which has been decimated by injuries, lost nine of 10 from March 1-19, but Davis now is back and the Mavericks are coming off back-to-back wins. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 25 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for decimate

Word History

Etymology

Latin decimatus, past participle of decimare, from decimus tenth, from decem ten

First Known Use

1660, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of decimate was in 1660

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decimate. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

decimate

verb
dec·​i·​mate ˈdes-ə-ˌmāt How to pronounce decimate (audio)
decimated; decimating
1
: to pick by lot and kill every tenth man of
the Roman army would decimate a legion for cowardice
2
: to destroy a large part of
a population decimated by an epidemic
decimation noun

More from Merriam-Webster on decimate

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