"act of reducing to non-existence," 1630s, from French annihilation (restored from Old French anichilacion, 14c.), or directly from Medieval Latin annihilationem (nominative annihilatio), noun of action from past-participle stem of annihilare "reduce to nothing" (see annihilate). In theology, an Annihilationist (1850) believed that the wicked were annihilated after death rather than sent to eternal suffering.