decimate

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈdɛsɪˌmeɪt/ UK /ˈdesɪˌmeɪt/ See IPA manual

verb

Meanings

1

verb
to destroy or drastically reduce a large proportion of

The frost decimated the season's orange crop.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to destroy or drastically... destroy devastate annihilate ravage obliteratewipe outslaughter cripple

Opposites

preserve spare protect restore

Word family

Derived forms decimationdecimator

Related forms decimal decade

Etymology

From Latin decimātus, past participle of decimāre ('to take a tenth'), the Roman military punishment of executing one in every ten, from decimus ('tenth'), from decem ('ten').

decimāre Latin decimus Latin decem Latin

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Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

# decimate

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** ˈdɛsɪˌmeɪt
**IPA (UK):** ˈdesɪˌmeɪt

## Meanings
1. to destroy or drastically reduce a large proportion of

## Examples
- The frost decimated the season's orange crop.

## Synonyms
- destroy
- devastate
- annihilate
- ravage
- obliterate
- wipe out
- slaughter
- cripple

## Antonyms
- preserve
- spare
- protect
- restore

## Derived Forms
- decimation
- decimator

## Related Forms
- decimal
- decade

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: decimāre
- Root: decimus
- Root: decem

## Etymology
From Latin decimātus, past participle of decimāre ('to take a tenth'), the Roman military punishment of executing one in every ten, from decimus ('tenth'), from decem ('ten').

## AI Etymology
Decimate is from Latin decimātus, past participle of decimāre ('to take a tenth'), the Roman military punishment of executing one in every ten, from decimus ('tenth'), from decem ('ten'). The ancestry passes through Latin decimāre, Latin decimus, and Latin decem. In present use as a verb, it means "to destroy or drastically reduce a large proportion of", keeping the historical formation close to the word's ordinary semantic work. Related words include decimal and decade; derived forms include decimation and decimator.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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decimate

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