decimate
decimate Lexical Profile
decimate Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To destroy, kill, or remove a large proportion of a population, group, or resource; to severely damage or drastically reduce.
"An invasive fungal blight threatened to decimate the region's ancient chestnut forests within a single decade."
To kill one in every ten of a group of soldiers or citizens as a collective punishment for mutiny or rebellion (in historical contexts, especially ancient Rome).
"Historical accounts record that the Roman general ordered his commanders to decimate the cohort that had fled the battlefield."
Word Nuance & Usage
Although traditional usage critics sometimes insist that 'decimate' must mean only 'to destroy one-tenth of,' its broader meaning of 'to destroy a large proportion of' or 'to severely damage' has been standard and predominant in English for centuries.
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Latin 'decimatus', the past participle of 'decimare' ('to take or execute every tenth man'), derived from 'decimus' ('tenth') and 'decem' ('ten'), referring to the ancient Roman military punishment for mutiny or cowardice.