Synonyms

decapitate

American

[dih-kap-i-teyt] / dɪˈkæp ɪˌteɪt /

verb (used with object)

decapitated, decapitating

to cut off the head of; behead.

Many people were decapitated during the French Revolution.

decapitate British

/ dɪˈkæpɪˌteɪt /

verb

(tr) to behead

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

decapitation noun
decapitator noun

Etymology

Origin of decapitate

1605–15; < Late Latin dēcapitātus, past participle of dēcapitāre, equivalent to dē- de- + capit- (stem of caput ) head + -ātus -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The sense of vulnerability is tangible - command centres damaged, leadership decapitated, and decision-making compressed into crisis mode.

From BBC

Rubbish washes up on the island from many faraway places, with a decapitated doll from Japan once rearing its plastic head.

From BBC

Williams said the body had not been decapitated or frozen, as some media outlets have reported.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, the despot regime has been decapitated, but ConocoPhillips isn’t jumping up and down.

From The Wall Street Journal

Mr. Rubio said Sunday it was unrealistic to take more risks in the raid to decapitate more of the regime, which is fair enough.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023