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Are you using the word “decimate” correctly?

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Vocabulary

Are you using the word "decimate" correctly?

All roads lead to Rome, including etymological ones. Let's examine how the word "decimate" has changed since ancient times.

Concrete wreckage closeup of a destroyed building

M uch like a Pokémon that keeps leveling up, words can evolve and add new definitions over time. One example is "decimate," a term commonly used to describe large-scale destruction. But that definition is a modern creation, as the word had a far more specific meaning in ancient history that's since been largely usurped and replaced.

The English word "decimate" incorporates the Latin prefix deci-, meaning "one-tenth," but more specifically, the term comes from the Latin decimatus, a past participle defined as "the removal or destruction of one-tenth." In ancient Rome, it was a known practice to kill one out of every 10 soldiers as a punishment for the larger group. Language sticklers might argue that using "decimate" should imply eliminating exactly 10% of something, rather than describe widespread destruction.

Despite this historical definition, it would be wrong to say people are using "decimate" incorrectly. Words develop new meanings over time, and in this specific context, people began using "decimate" as a synonym for "annihilate" as far back as the mid-17th century. So while the history of a word is worth noting, to claim a modern use is wrong is being a bit pedantic while ignoring the fact that all languages evolve over time (just compare Shakespeare's English to Chaucer's for proof).

This doesn't apply just to "decimate," of course — several English words had highly specific meanings in ancient Rome. For instance, "century" referred to a company of 100 Roman soldiers; now we primarily use it to refer to a period of 100 years. "Triumph" was a specific term for a victorious general's procession through Rome, and now refers more generally to success in various forms. It's important to acknowledge the historical context of language while embracing its modern meaning.