remove
Americanverb (used with object)
-
removes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
removed,
past participle, past
-
removing
present participle
-
to move from a place or position; take away or off.
to remove the napkins from the table.
- Synonyms:
- dislodge
- Antonyms:
- leave
-
to take off or shed (an article of clothing).
to remove one's jacket.
-
to move or shift to another place or position; transfer.
She removed the painting to another wall.
-
to put out; send away.
to remove a tenant.
-
to dismiss or force from a position or office; discharge.
They removed him for embezzling.
-
to take away, withdraw, or eliminate.
to remove the threat of danger.
-
to get rid of; do away with; put an end to.
to remove a stain;
to remove the source of disease.
-
to kill; assassinate.
- Synonyms:
- murder
verb (used without object)
-
removes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
removed,
past participle, past
-
removing
present participle
-
to move from one place to another, especially to another locality or residence.
We remove to Newport early in July.
- Antonyms:
- remain
-
to go away; depart; disappear.
noun
-
the act of removing.
-
a removal from one place, as of residence, to another.
-
the distance by which one person, place, or thing is separated from another.
to see something at a remove.
-
a mental distance from the reality of something as a result of psychological detachment or lack of experience.
to criticize something at a remove.
-
a degree of difference, as that due to descent, transmission, etc..
a folk survival, at many removes, of a druidic rite.
-
a step or degree, as in a graded scale.
-
British. a promotion of a pupil to a higher class or division at school.
verb
-
to take away and place elsewhere
-
to displace (someone) from office; dismiss
-
to do away with (a grievance, cause of anxiety, etc); abolish
-
to cause (dirt, stains, or anything unwanted) to disappear; get rid of
-
euphemistic to assassinate; kill
-
formal (intr) to change the location of one's home or place of business
the publishers have removed to Mayfair
noun
-
the act of removing, esp (formal) a removal of one's residence or place of work
-
the degree of difference separating one person, thing, or condition from another
only one remove from madness
-
(in certain schools) a class or form, esp one for children of about 14 years, designed to introduce them to the greater responsibilities of a more senior position in the school
-
(at a formal dinner, formerly) a dish to be changed while the rest of the course remains on the table
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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removabilitynoun
-
removernoun
-
preremoveverb (used with object)
-
removableadjective
-
removablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
removesimple
-
removessimple
-
have removedperfect
-
has removedperfect
-
am removingprogressive
-
are removingprogressive
-
is removingprogressive
-
have been removingperfect progressive
-
has been removingperfect progressive
Past
-
removedsimple
-
had removedperfect
-
was removingprogressive
-
were removingprogressive
-
had been removingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of remove
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb remeven, remefen, remoeven, from Old French remouvoir, from Latin removēre; see re-, move
Explanation
You can remove your name from a list, remove a stain from a t-shirt, or remove old furniture from your house. Whatever it is, when you remove something, you take it somewhere else or get rid of it completely. The verb remove usually means taking something off or getting rid of something. For example, when you take off your coat, you remove it, or when you remove a skillet from the heat, you take it off the burner. Remove can apply to people: a law-breaking politician who is removed from office. As a noun remove indicates distance, such as being at one remove from your cousin, getting all his news from his mother.
Vocabulary lists containing remove
"Hitching a Ride"
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Workshop 3, Part 1
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Chapter 13: Manifest Destiny
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In that sense, American impeachments have never been employed as the equivalent of the motions of no-confidence employed by parliamentary governments to remove government ministers.
From Slate ● Nov. 10, 2026
The Senate then holds a trial, with two-thirds of senators present needed to convict and remove the official.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026
Bass told The Times she was initially caught off guard by the supervisors’ proposal to remove the money and funnel it into a new county homelessness department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026
Last month's operation to remove a tumour was successful and his doctors say the cancer has not spread.
From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026
She found a number of large grasshoppers, pulled off the heads to remove the guts, and roasted them on a flat stone over the fire.
From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer
Researchers estimate that marine snow removes more than 10 gigatons of carbon from surface waters each year.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026
Supporters say the measure adds balance to the negotiations process and removes the unilateral authority of the county Board of Supervisors.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Before sending emails, he rereads them and removes any jargon.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026
The deal removes the overhang stemming from M&A uncertainty and should support the share price.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Max removes the boards, and the children—Cesia, Janek, and Dziusia—along with Schillinger, and Old Hirsch, and Max, according to today’s rotation, go inside the bunker.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
The "Aylen Skye" account that hijacked Jasunas's routine amassed over 230,000 Instagram followers -- and a Meta verified checkmark -- before it was removed.
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
Combined with Waller’s comments, the data removed any doubts for investors that the Fed will raise rates on Dec. 9, at its final meeting of the year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 10, 2026
“His father has never been in ICE custody and was previously removed to Mexico” by Border Patrol, the spokesperson wrote in the statement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2026
She was diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer, external, which was only discovered after tissue removed during a hysterectomy at Warwick Hospital was analysed following a uterine prolapse.
From BBC ● Nov. 10, 2026
“You think you’re so smart, Novis. But I’m done playing games with you. I’m going to have a talk with your superiors. I’m going to strongly recommend that you be removed from the Park.”
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
New York Knicks star Josh Hart has relisted his sprawling Florida mansion for $5.69 million—just one year after removing the home from the selling block.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026
Then, in September, the prime minister told Labour's conference: "We will reform Right to Buy. Not taking the right away from anyone in an existing home, but removing it from new homes."
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
Foreman — known as ”Big Ant” or simply “BA” — was removing weeds at a vacant lot near Crenshaw Boulevard and 60th Street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
These enzymes help maintain cellular health by removing damaged DNA building blocks before they can interfere with normal biological processes.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
He’s clearly not been removing that part from his car when he parks.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
