noun
perdition
pur-DIH-shuhn
noun
1
In religious belief, eternal punishment or damnation after death.
"The preacher warned that sin would lead them to perdition."
2
Complete ruin or downfall.
"His reckless gambling drove the family business to perdition."
How to Use Perdition
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTotal ruin — in a religious sense, being condemned to hell forever; more generally, complete downfall.
When to use it
A formal, somewhat literary word, most common in religious or dramatic writing.
Common pairings
road to perdition
doomed to perdition
Word Forms
perditions plural
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Etymology
From Old French perdiciun, from Latin perditio, "loss, destruction", from perdere, "to destroy or lose completely".