DECIMATING Meaning and
Definition
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Decimating is a verb that refers to the act of severely reducing or destroying a large portion or significant number of something, typically a population, group, or entity. It is derived from the Latin word "decimare," which literally means "to take a tenth."
This term originally found its roots in ancient Roman military practices, particularly in punishment. The practice involved executing every tenth soldier in a legion as a form of collective punishment or to instill fear among the troops. However, the meaning of "decimating" has evolved over time to generally describe any situation where a considerable portion is eliminated or severely diminished.
In modern usage, decimating is often employed to describe the devastating impact of natural disasters, diseases, or warfare on populations. For example, a city can be decimated by a tornado, meaning that around 90% of its structures and inhabitants have been destroyed. Similarly, a disease epidemic may decimate a community or species, substantially reducing their numbers or causing widespread fatalities.
Furthermore, the term can also be figuratively applied to describe the significant damage or reduction of non-physical entities, such as businesses, economies, or resources. For instance, an economic recession can decimate a country's financial markets, resulting in widespread job losses and financial distress.
Overall, "decimating" portrays the profound destruction of a significant part of something, emphasizing the extent and severity of the loss or devastation.
Top Common Misspellings for DECIMATING *
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
Other Common Misspellings for DECIMATING
Etymology of DECIMATING
The word "decimating" comes from the Latin term "decimare", which is derived from the Latin word "decimus", meaning "tenth". Decimare was originally a military term used by the ancient Romans, referring to a punishment where one in every ten soldiers in a unit would be killed as a means of discipline. This term then expanded to encompass the broader concept of destroying or eliminating a large portion of something or causing significant damage. Over time, the meaning of "decimating" has evolved to describe severe reduction or devastation in various contexts beyond the military.
Similar spelling word for DECIMATING
Conjugate verb Decimating
CONDITIONAL
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FUTURE
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will decimate
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FUTURE PERFECT
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PAST
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decimated
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decimated
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PAST PERFECT
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had decimated
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PRESENT
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decimate
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PRESENT PERFECT
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have decimated
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was decimating
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had been decimating
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will have been decimating
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