decimation
Massive population loss
Decimation is severe destruction or reduction of something.
The word originally referred to the Roman military practice of killing one in ten soldiers as collective punishment, but modern usage has shifted toward near-total destruction: The decimation of the rainforest continues unchecked.
Purists object to this evolution, but the looser sense now dominates.
Severe widespread destruction
- annihilationUtter, complete destruction
- obliterationTotal destruction or erasure
- ruinationState of complete destruction
- carnageWidespread violent death
massacre · slaughter · eradication · extermination · ravaging · laying waste · wholesale destruction · mass killing
Penalty for an offense
- executionCompleting a planned task
- lotteryRandomized prize distribution
- legionsGreat many, or armies
- disciplineTrained self-control or specialty
cohort · centurion · military justice · one in ten · drawing lots · mutiny · republic
Reduction of supply
- thinningReducing density or number
- cullingSelective population reduction
- diminishmentProcess of becoming smaller
- attritionGradual reduction through loss
downsizing · cutback · contraction · shrinking · dwindling · weakening · erosion · degradation
devastation
Severe widespread destruction
- annihilationUtter, complete destruction
- obliterationTotal destruction or erasure
- ruinationState of complete destruction
carnage · massacre · slaughter · eradication · extermination · ravaging · laying waste · wholesale destruction · mass killing · bloodbath
punishment
Penalty for an offense
discipline · cohort · centurion · military justice · one in ten · drawing lots · mutiny · republic
depletion
Reduction of supply
- thinningReducing density or number
- cullingSelective population reduction
- diminishmentProcess of becoming smaller
attrition · downsizing · cutback · contraction · shrinking · dwindling · weakening · erosion · degradation · hollowing out
- Ancient RomeRome, Julius Caesar, Caesar, gladiator, gladiators
- Roman militarylegion, cohort, centurion, legionnaire, legionaries
- data processingnormalization, data entry, standardization, encoding, scaling
- Pyrrhic VictoriesPyrrhic victory, hollow victory, war of attrition, bloodbath
- Roman warfarelegion, cohort, centurion, Caesar, testudo
- Warfare Customswar cry, battle cry, war drums, war drum, war chant
decimationpreservation
Maintaining something's condition
conservation · protection · salvation · safeguarding · saving
decimationproliferation
Rapid increase in quantity
multiplication · expansion · flourishing · thriving · increase
decimationrestoration
Returning something to condition
reconstruction · rebuilding · regeneration · renewal · revival