autodestruction
|au-to-de-struc-tion|
🇺🇸
/ˌɔːtoʊdɪˈstrʌkʃən/
🇬🇧
/ˌɔːtəʊdɪˈstrʌkʃən/
self-caused destruction
Etymology
'autodestruction' originates from modern English combining the prefix 'auto-' from Greek 'autos' meaning 'self' and the noun 'destruction' from Latin 'destructio' (from 'destruere') meaning 'a tearing down or undoing'.
'auto-' comes from Greek 'autos' ('self'), while 'destruction' developed from Latin 'destructio' (from 'destruere' 'to tear down'), passed into Middle English via Old French forms of 'destroy' and related verbs, eventually forming the compound 'autodestruction' in modern English.
Initially the elements meant 'self' + 'the act of destroying/tearing down'; over time the compounded term came to denote either a mechanical/self-triggered destruction or metaphorical/psychological self-destruction.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the act or process by which a device, vehicle, or system destroys itself deliberately (often by an internal mechanism) to prevent capture or further use.
The satellite carried an autodestruction system that would trigger if it fell off course.
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Noun 2
a pattern of behavior in which an individual damages or undermines their own interests, well-being, or success (psychological or social self-destruction).
Many experts described his addiction and repeated risky choices as a form of autodestruction.
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Last updated: 2025/11/25 00:04