debellare
to defeat decisively
verb deh-bel-LAH-reh Rare
Origin: Latin debellare, from de- + bellare (to wage war)
Also means
to eradicate
Usage Note
Debellare carries a strong connotation of total defeat — eliminating a disease (debellare un'epidemia), crushing an enemy, or eradicating a problem for good. It is more final than sconfiggere (to defeat). It takes avere as its auxiliary.
Examples
"L'obiettivo è debellare la malaria."
Natural Translation
The goal is to eradicate malaria.
Related Words
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