Word
mutilation
Phoneticsmu·ti·la·tion
US/ˌmjutəˈɫeɪʃən/
UK/mjˌuːtɪlˈeɪʃən/
Definition
n. the act of damaging a person's body or an object very badly. It often means cutting or removing a part of something so it is no longer whole or beautiful.
n. the action of inflicting serious, permanent damage on a body or object, typically by removing or destroying a limb or essential part.
Examples
“The ancient statue suffered terrible mutilation over the centuries.”
“The treaty included strict laws to prevent the mutilation of historical monuments during times of war.”
“The forensic report detailed the extensive mutilation of the crime scene, suggesting the perpetrator intended to obscure any evidence that could lead to a positive identification.”
Examples
simple
“The ancient statue suffered terrible mutilation over the centuries.”
contextual
“The treaty included strict laws to prevent the mutilation of historical monuments during times of war.”
complex
“The forensic report detailed the extensive mutilation of the crime scene, suggesting the perpetrator intended to obscure any evidence that could lead to a positive identification.”
Usage
Uncountable when referring to the general act; countable when referring to specific instances of injury or damage.
Real-World Examples
“She also spoke out in favour of the legalisation of same-sex marriage, as well as equal rights and pay for women, and protested against the death penalty and female genital mutilation.” “She spoke out for the legalisation of abortion, same-sex marriage, and equal rights and pay for women, and protested against the death penalty and female genital mutilation.” “The ghoulish celebrants were not concerned about mass murder, torture, or mutilation of the women, children, and elderly.” Etymology
Latin mutilatio; compare French mutilation.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/mutilation