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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.

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