English Reference
Verb

annihilate

v.
C2 Proficiency US /əˈnaɪəˌɫeɪt/ UK /ɐnˈaɪəlˌeɪt/ an·ni·hi·late UK spelling annihilated, annihilates Mathematics

v.to destroy something completely, leaving nothing left. In math, it means to cancel out a number or a term so it has no effect on the result.

v.to destroy or obliterate completely; to eliminate a mathematical term or expression from an equation by means of an inverse operation. Often used in the context of algebra to describe the cancellation of terms.


SIMPLE

The two negative numbers annihilate each other in the equation.

CONTEXTUAL

When you add a number to its negative counterpart, they annihilate each other and the result is zero.

COMPLEX

In advanced algebra, certain operators are designed to annihilate specific components of a tensor, effectively reducing the dimensionality of the system without losing essential information.

This powerful dream sequence shows Sarah and the rest of Los Angeles utterly annihilated by a nuclear blast.

Ars Technica· 28 Aug 2026

Still, in his view, American society has made headway in forming partnerships and accommodating different outlooks on the issue, instead of attempting to annihilate the wolves, like in the past.

Smithsonian Magazine· 31 Jul 2026

Borrowed from Latin annihilātus, perfect passive participle of annihilō (“to reduce to nothing”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ad (“to”) + nihil (“nothing”) + -ō (verb-forming suffix).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C2 · Proficiency
Frequency Occasional
Updated