noun

• 1The action of cutting off the head of a person or animal.

  ‘England's last public decapitation’

  More example sentences

  • ‘shocking scenes of decapitation and murder’
  • ‘Male initiation rites among the Asmat no longer involve decapitation.’
  • ‘Police at the scene of the accident said the woman was lucky to avoid decapitation.’
  • ‘Aid workers would be flowing into the area right now if they didn't fear decapitation.’
  • ‘Hunters must dispatch snakes with a shot or knife blow to the head - decapitation is not recommended by animal welfare groups.’
  • ‘France had various experiments with monarchy, even after the decapitation of Louis XVI.’
  • ‘He is serving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder and decapitation of his victim.’
  • ‘The big fear in Canada, following a particularly gruesome incident, is random decapitations on intercity buses.’
  • ‘The footage seemed irresistible to television, which kept replaying it, although not the grisly decapitation.’
  • ‘His brutal decapitation raises similar issues that this article addresses, issues that we hoped to never have to reconsider.’
  • ‘Animals were killed by decapitation and destruction of the brain and spinal cord.’

  1. 1.1An attempt to undermine a group or organization by removing its leaders.
     as modifier ‘the decapitation strategy had failed almost completely’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The outcome of this special operation is called a coup d' etat or a political decapitation.’
     • ‘The end result was the further coercion, co-option and decapitation of the movement.’
     • ‘In contrast, a country susceptible of being a target for political decapitation will try to protect itself.’
     • ‘The war began in March with US forces launching a "decapitation attack" aimed at the country's president.’
     • ‘The invasion was seen as a decapitation exercise.’
     • ‘Every briefing included satellite pictures showing precision attacks on targets selected for decapitation strikes.’
     • ‘Among the early missile strikes two days later was an apparent attempt at decapitation of the enemy leadership.’
     • ‘Stalin had determined on the decapitation of the nations he had conquered.’
     • ‘Officials don't want a decapitation of the regime that would leave no counter-party for negotiation.’
     • ‘The decapitation attempt succeeded in causing panic among top officials and in spreading a belief that many of them had been killed.’