# destruction

Pronunciation: say "di-STRUK-shuhn" /dɪsˈtɹʌkʃən/

## Noun

1. The act of destroying something: bringing about its ruin or putting an end to its existence.
   - Simple: The act of breaking or ruining something completely so it cannot be used again.
   - _Workers oversaw the careful destruction of the condemned building._
   - _The treaty required the destruction of all remaining chemical weapons._
2. The damage and ruin that remain after a destructive event such as a disaster or attack.
   - Simple: The damage left behind after something like a storm, fire, or war.
   - _Aerial photographs revealed the full extent of the destruction along the coast._
   - _Volunteers spent the summer clearing away the destruction left by the wildfire._
3. A group of feral cats.
   - Simple: A group of cats that have gone wild and live without owners.

## Origin

Inherited from Middle English destruccioun, from Old French destrucion, which came from Latin dēstructiō (dēstructiōnem).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/destruction (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).