The difference between Decimate and Devastate

Decimate as a verb (archaic):

To kill one-tenth of a group, as a military punishment in the Roman army selected by lot, usually carried out by the surviving soldiers.

Decimate as a verb:

To destroy or remove one-tenth of anything.

Decimate as a verb (loosely):

To devastate: to reduce or destroy significantly but not completely.

Decimate as a verb (obsolete):

To exact a tithe or other 10% tax

Decimate as a verb (obsolete, rare):

To tithe: to pay a 10% tax.

Decimate as a verb (obsolete):

To decimalize: to divide into tenths, hundredths etc.

Decimate as a verb (proscribed):

To reduce to one-tenth: to destroy or remove nine-tenths of anything.

Decimate as a verb (computer graphics):

To replace a high-resolution model with another of lower but acceptable quality.

Decimate as a noun (obsolete):

A tithe or other 10% tax or payment.

Decimate as a noun (obsolete):

A tenth of something.

Decimate as a noun (obsolete):

A set of ten items.

Devastate as a verb:

To ruin many or all things over a large area, such as most or all buildings of a city, or cities of a region, or trees of a forest.

Devastate as a verb:

To destroy a whole collection of related ideas, beliefs, and strongly held opinions.

Devastate as a verb:

To break beyond recovery or repair so that the only options are abandonment or the clearing away of useless remains (if any) and starting over.