Meanings
plural despoliations
- countableuncountableA stripping or plundering; spoliation.
Time has taken a terrible revenge upon mankind for his despoliation of the valleys and his defilement of the mountains, yet the industries and the railways of South Wales still put the bravest front upon an outlook which all may hope is becoming less saddening and less grim.
1939 September, D. S. Barrie, “The Railways of South Wales”, in Railway Magazine, page 165
Synonyms & antonyms
nounthe act of stripping and taking by force
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindēspoliātiō
- Englishdespoliation
From Latin dēspoliātiō, from dēspoliō.
More words from Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Spanish despojamiento, despojo
- despojamientoTranslations
- despojoTranslations
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with despoliation
Anagrams
Cite this entry
despoliation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despoliation
“despoliation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despoliation. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “despoliation,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/despoliation.
Source: despoliation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.