Annihilation


an act or instance of , or of completely destroying or defeating someone or something:
the brutal annihilation of millions of people.
the state of being ; total destruction; extinction:
fear of nuclear annihilation.
Physics.

Also called pair annihilation. the process in which a particle and antiparticle unite, each other, and produce one or more photons.
Compare .
the conversion of rest mass into energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation.

Contemporary Examples

As the Anti-Defamation League notes, this narrative entails “the annihilation of Jews…who refuse to convert at Armageddon.”
The Pro-Israel Lobby: Narratives, Not Money Adam Simpson May 1, 2013

Fat Boy, like the atomic bomb, is both a miracle of human ingenuity and a force of annihilation.
American Dreams: ‘The Mosquito Coast’ by Paul Theroux Nathaniel Rich September 19, 2012

If anything he was much more conservative than JFK, why would Castro risk the annihilation of his country to make him president?
Who Really Killed JFK? Experts Pick the Wildest Conspiracy Theories Thomas Flynn November 19, 2013

Turse uses the example of Operation Speedy Express, the annihilation of the Mekong Delta between 1968 and 1969.
The Atrocity Lessons: What the U.S. Military Learned From Vietnam Jake Whitney February 20, 2013

The consequences of a drug conviction amount to the annihilation of citizenship.
How We Got to Ferguson—a Reading List David Masciotra August 22, 2014

Historical Examples

Itll take that long for us to arrange the annihilation of the range area.
The Variable Man Philip K. Dick

Chip’s way of saying yes was one of his chief weapons of annihilation.
Chip, of the Flying U B. M. Bower

Only one way is open: the road which leads forward, the road to annihilation.
mile Verhaeren Stefan Zweig

To-night he had gone to bed sternly resolved on a while of annihilation.
In a Little Town Rupert Hughes

Nothing could be more propitious for the execution of his plans; the annihilation of the woman who had wrecked his life.
When Dreams Come True Ritter Brown

noun
total destruction
the act of annihilating
(physics) the destruction of a particle and its antiparticle when they collide. The annihilation of an electron with a positron generates two or, very rarely, three photons of annihilation radiation. The annihilation of a nucleon with its antiparticle generates several pions
n.

1630s, from Middle French annihilation (restored from Old French anichilacion, 14c.), or directly from Late Latin annihilationem (nominative annihilatio), noun of action from past participle stem of annihilare (see annihilate).

Read Also:

  • Annihilating

    to reduce to utter ruin or nonexistence; destroy utterly: The heavy bombing almost annihilated the city. to destroy the collective existence or main body of; wipe out: to annihilate an army. to annul; make void: to annihilate a law. to cancel the effect of; nullify. to defeat completely; vanquish: Our basketball team annihilated the visiting […]

  • Annihilation radiation

    electromagnetic radiation produced by the coalescence and mutual annihilation of a positron and an electron, each pair forming two photons having a minimum energy of 0.5 million electron volts each.

  • Annihilator

    a person or thing that . Mathematics. the set of all linear functionals that map to zero all elements of a given subset of a vector space. Historical Examples She did not care for “eternal card-parties,” and considered the card-table “an annihilator of ideas.” Anna Seward Stapleton Martin It is nature as the annihilator that […]

  • Anniston

    a city in E Alabama. Contemporary Examples Chris McCary and John Sullivan live in Anniston, Ala., a small city even by Alabama standards. Gay, Southern, and Loving It Constantino Diaz-Duran March 26, 2013 Historical Examples Many thousands greeted the President on his arrival at Anniston. Speeches of Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison Anniston is an important […]

  • Anniv.

    . anniversary


Disclaimer: Annihilation definition / meaning should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. All content on this website is for informational purposes only.