annihilate etymology

Etymology:

  • Annihilate comes from the Latin verb ad nihilum redigere, meaning "to reduce to nothing".
  • Ad (Latin): "to"
  • Nihilum (Latin): "nothing"
  • Redigere (Latin): "to reduce"

Meaning:

  • To destroy completely; to obliterate; to annihilate something means to wipe it out, to make it cease to exist.
  • To eliminate or destroy utterly; to annihilate an enemy means to completely defeat or destroy them.
  • To cancel or counterbalance; to annihilate an effect means to counteract or nullify it.

Origin:

  • The term was first used in the 17th century.
  • It was initially used in the context of philosophy and theology to refer to the concept of reducing something to nothingness.
  • Over time, it gained wider usage in various fields, including science, literature, and the military.

annihilate relate terms

  • annihilation

    Etymology Late Latin annihilāre to bring to nothing Latin ad to nihil no

  • annihilate

    Etymology Annihilate comes from the Latin verb ad nihilum redigere meaning to reduce