Defacement

Definitions

1. An act of defacing; an instance of visibly marring or disfiguring something.
   countable, uncountable
2. An act of voiding or devaluing; nullification of the face value.
   countable, uncountable
3. A symbol added to a flag or coat of arms to change it or make it different from another.
   countable, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“Some consider⟳ the defacement of the Sphinx to be the most egregious crime of Napolean's campaigns.”

“The soldiers found a variety of creative uses for their payment scrip after its defacement to scrap paper; some used it as toilet paper.”

CEFR level