What is the Latin word for destruction?

The usual Latin words for “destruction” are ēversiō, exstīnctiō, excīsiō; also excidium, disturbatiō, dissipātiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“destruction” in Latin

ēversiōexpulsion; destruction; revolution exstīnctiōannihilation, slaughter, extinction; dissolution excīsiōcutting off, out or down; excision; destroying excidiumdemolition, destruction (especially military), ruin; massacre, slaughter, killing disturbatiōdestruction dissipātiōscattering, dispersal; destruction, annihilation intereōto go among, become lost in; to disappear, vanish; to be ruined, undone interitiōdestruction, ruin coniectiōa hurling, throwing; an inference, conjecture, interpretation; a subject of controversy ruīnaa falling down, collapse, ruin, destruction; ruins, debris; ruins, debris

The English word destruction itself goes back to Latin struō, through destructio.

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

destruction

eversio (the overthrowing, rei publicae, urbis, etc., rei familiaris, etc.): exstinctio (the extinguishing; and figuratively the destroying the existence of anything that had life and energy): excisio (Auct. Or. pro dom. Harusp. Respons.): excidium (Liv.; not Caes., or Cic.: urbis, gentis, etc.): disturbatio (e.g., Corinthi, Cic.; once only): dissipatio, interitus and (rare, but classical) interitio. (The words are found in this connection and order.) interitus et dissipatio: consumtio (act of consuming, etc., Cic., rare): conjectio (e.g., valetudinis; escarum): ruina (the falling down; e.g., communis ruina; also in plur., ruinae fortunarum tuarum): exitium (ruin): dissolutio (the breaking up a compacted whole; e.g., naturae, stomachi, legum): interemtio (slaying, death; Cic., rare): destructio (post-classical, murorum, Suet.): vastatio: populatio: depopulate (the laying waste, plundering, etc.): before the destruction of Troy, Troja incolumi: to be the destruction of anything, perniciei esse; exitio esse alicui: to cause the destruction of anybody, aliquem perdere or pessum dare; aliquem ad interitum vocare: to rush to destruction, ad interitum ruere; in perniciem incurrere: to seek the destruction of anybody, interitum alicujus quaerere; perniciem alicui moliri: to save anybody from destruction, aliquem ab interitu vindicare or retrahere; aliquem ab exitio ad salutem revocare; aliquem a morte eripere (from death): to save the state from destruction, rempublicam ab occasu restituere; to cause destruction (= a severe blow or loss), cladem afferre or inferre: strages facere (Cic.); edere (Liv.; to cut down foes). A wide-spread destruction overtakes the state, magna clades atque calamitas opprimit rempublicam.

Destruction = destroyer (abstract, pro concreto), pernicies: pestis: corruptela: corruptor: exitium: To be the destruction of anybody, perniciei esse; exitio esse alicui. [Vid: DESTROYER].

If destruction = DEATH, Vid: DESTRUCTIVE, perniciosus: exitiosus: exitialis: exitiabilis: funestus: damnosus; to anybody, alicui [SYN. in HURTFUL]: ☞ destructivus, very late; caelius, Aur., Tardit.

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for destruction?: The usual Latin words for “destruction” are ēversiō, exstīnctiō, excīsiō; also excidium, disturbatiō, dissipātiō. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.