demolition
n.the act of completely destroying a building or other large structure. You usually see this when old houses are knocked down to make space for new ones.
n.the act of deliberately destroying a structure, typically a building. Often involves the use of heavy machinery or explosives to clear a site for redevelopment.
“The demolition of the old factory starts tomorrow morning.”
“City officials approved the demolition of the derelict warehouse to make room for a new public park.”
“While the demolition of the historic theater sparked public outcry, the structural engineers maintained that the foundation was too compromised to support any modern renovation efforts.”
Uncountable when referring to the general process; countable when referring to a specific instance or event.
“Abu Amra reported that the Israeli army carried out two demolition operations in Deir el-Balah, with explosions heard from a distance as the targeted houses collapsed into rubble.”
“Despite a reduction in fighting following the June agreements, Israeli strikes and demolitions in southern Lebanon have continued.”
From Old French demolition, from Latin dēmōlītiō (“a tearing down”). Equivalent to demolish + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.