decommission

verb

de·​com·​mis·​sion ˌdē-kə-ˈmi-shən How to pronounce decommission (audio)
decommissioned; decommissioning; decommissions

transitive verb

: to remove (something, such as a ship or a nuclear power plant) from service

Examples of decommission in a Sentence

Several military bases are scheduled to be decommissioned. The government is decommissioning the nuclear power plant.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In January 2020, just weeks after the WTO’s Appellate Body was decommissioned, Indonesia moved to impose a ban on the export of raw nickel. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 12 July 2025 Before Florida’s Crystal River nuclear generating plant was decommissioned, there were emergency sirens, tested weekly, throughout Citrus County, north of Tampa. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2025 Good as new, the USS New Orleans re-entered service until it was decommissioned in 1947, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 July 2025 In a fictional scenario, the researchers asked Anthropic’s Claude to act as an assistant and provided it access to internal emails that suggested it would soon be decommissioned, in addition to the knowledge that a supervisor was having an extramarital affair. Aytekin Tank, Forbes.com, 8 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for decommission

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of decommission was in 1922

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Decommission.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decommission. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

decommission

verb
de·​com·​mis·​sion ˌdē-kə-ˈmish-ən How to pronounce decommission (audio)
: to remove (as a ship) from use or service

More from Merriam-Webster on decommission

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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