First published 1895; not yet revised
destructionnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun destruction mean?
There are seven meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun destruction, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun destruction?
About 30occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 32 |
| 1760 | 46 |
| 1770 | 48 |
| 1780 | 53 |
| 1790 | 66 |
| 1800 | 68 |
| 1810 | 66 |
| 1820 | 64 |
| 1830 | 64 |
| 1840 | 62 |
| 1850 | 57 |
| 1860 | 54 |
| 1870 | 50 |
| 1880 | 46 |
| 1890 | 43 |
| 1900 | 40 |
| 1910 | 41 |
| 1920 | 35 |
| 1930 | 33 |
| 1940 | 39 |
| 1950 | 34 |
| 1960 | 35 |
| 1970 | 33 |
| 1980 | 29 |
| 1990 | 29 |
| 2000 | 30 |
| 2010 | 30 |
How is the noun destruction pronounced?
British English
/dᵻˈstrʌkʃn/
duh-STRUCK-shuhn
U.S. English
/dəˈstrəkʃən/
duh-STRUCK-shuhn
/diˈstrəkʃən/
dee-STRUCK-shuhn
Where does the noun destruction come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the noun destruction is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for destruction is from around 1330, in the writing of Robert Mannyng, poet and historian.
destruction is a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French destructiun.
Nearby entries
- destroying angel, n.1887–
- destroyingly, adv.1820–
- destruct, v.a1638–
- destructant, n.1889–
- destructful, adj.1659–
- destructibility, n.1730–
- destructible, adj.1755–
- destructibleness, n.1846–
- destructify, v.1841
- destructile, adj.1727
- destruction, n.c1330–
- destructionable, adj.1656–60
- destructional, adj.1900–
- destructioner, n.1621
- destructionist, n.1807–
- destructive, adj. & n.1490–
- destructively, adv.1661–
- destructiveness, n.1647–
- destructivity, n.1902–
- destructless, adj.1845–
- destructor, n.a1691–
Etymology
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Meaning & use
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Pronunciation
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Forms
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Frequency
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Compounds & derived words
Thank you for visiting Oxford English Dictionary
To continue reading, please sign in below or purchase a subscription. After purchasing, please sign in below to access the content.
Institutional access
Institutional account management
Entry history for destruction, n.
destruction, n. was first published in 1895; not yet revised.
destruction, n. was last modified in July 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into destruction, n. in July 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1895)
OED Second Edition (1989)
Cite
Chicago
Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
Copied to clipboard
MLA9
“” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, , .
Copied to clipboard
Contribute
Citation details
Factsheet for destruction, n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- destroying angel, n.1887–
- destroyingly, adv.1820–
- destruct, v.a1638–
- destructant, n.1889–
- destructful, adj.1659–
- destructibility, n.1730–
- destructible, adj.1755–
- destructibleness, n.1846–
- destructify, v.1841
- destructile, adj.1727
- destruction, n.c1330–
- destructionable, adj.1656–60
- destructional, adj.1900–
- destructioner, n.1621
- destructionist, n.1807–
- destructive, adj. & n.1490–
- destructively, adv.1661–
- destructiveness, n.1647–
- destructivity, n.1902–
- destructless, adj.1845–
- destructor, n.a1691–
