depredation

American  

[dep-ri-dey-shuhn] / ˌdɛp rɪˈdeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of preying upon or plundering; robbery; ravage.

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depredation British  

/ ˌdɛprɪˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of plundering; robbery; pillage

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Other Word Forms

• depredationist noun

Etymology

Origin of depredation

1475–85; < Late Latin dēpraedātiōn- (stem of dēpraedātiō ) a plundering, equivalent to dēpraedāt ( us ) ( depredate ) + -iōn- -ion

Explanation

The horrors of war include depredation — the plundering and ransacking of the defeated and their homes, the terrible, unrestrained preying on the conquered. The word depredation entails all of the pain humans inflict upon each other. The Latin language makes the noun praeda "prey" into the verb praedārī, which then means "to plunder." As if that wasn't enough — they added the prefix de-, "thoroughly," to create a word that says it all. In 15th-century French, the word became depredation, but the meaning was far from refined, describing a wholesale pillaging of those who became the "prey" and continuing the history of man’s inhumanity to man.

Example Sentences

It is in the interest of the free world, including the U.S., that India become better able to defend itself against Chinese depredation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

An emerging bright spot for Latin America could be Argentina, whose stocks are excluded from most indexes after years of economic depredation.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

Eventually, Fisher managed to get a depredation permit for the bear that had fed on Miller; his deputies tracked down her landlord, who as the homeowner could sign it.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025

Kandula faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony charge of depredation of government property.

From Seattle Times • May 13, 2024

Among the more important classes of claims that have been adjudicated by this court were the French Spoliation claims, and Indian depredation claims, both involving numerous claims and very large amounts in the aggregate.

From Government in the United States National, State and Local by Garner, James Wilford

Related Words

• wasting