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perdition

perdition

noun pehr-dee-SYOHN Rare

Origin: Latin perditio, destruction, from perdere, to destroy

Also means

ruin

Usage Note

Perdition in religious contexts means the damnation of the soul; in secular use it means moral or material ruin. En perdition (in peril, adrift) is a common phrase applied to ships, businesses, or people: un navire en perdition (a ship in distress). The tone is always serious or literary.

Examples

"Ce navire en perdition envoie un signal de détresse."

Natural Translation

This ship in distress is sending a distress signal.

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