decimation

• Substantiv, das die Tötung oder Vernichtung eines großen Teils einer Bevölkerung bezeichnet; historisch zurückgehend auf die Praxis, jeden zehnten Menschen durch Losentscheid hinzurichten.

A noun referring to the act of destroying or killing a large portion of a population, historically derived from the practice of executing every tenth person chosen by lot.

unzählbar

1. Large-scale destructionC1formal

   The act of destroying or killing a large portion of a group, historically referring to the punishment of killing one in every ten soldiers.

   Massenvernichtung

   • The plague caused the decimation of the village population.
   • Historians describe the decimation of the Roman legion as a brutal punishment.
   • The war led to the decimation of entire communities.

   Synonymeannihilationcarnagedemolitiondevastationeradicationexterminationhavocmassacre

2. Severe reductionC1formal

   A drastic reduction in numbers or amount, often used metaphorically.

   Starke Verringerung

   • The budget cuts resulted in the decimation of the arts program.
   • The hurricane caused the decimation of the local wildlife.
   • The company faced the decimation of its workforce after the merger.

   Synonymeannihilationattritiondepletiondestructiondevastationreduction

   Antonymeaugmentationexpansiongrowthincreasemultiplication