elimination

American  

[ih-lim-uh-nay-shuhn] / ɪˌlɪm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

• eliminations
  plural

1. the act of eliminating.

2. the state of being eliminated.

3. Mathematics. the process of solving a system of simultaneous equations by using various techniques to remove the variables successively.

4. Sports. a game, bout, or match in a tournament in which an individual or team is eliminated from the competition after one defeat.

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elimination British  

/ ɪˌlɪmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of eliminating or the state of being eliminated

2. logic (qualified by the name of an operation) a syntactic rule specifying the conditions under which a formula or statement containing the specified operation may permit the derivation of others that do not contain it

   conjunction-elimination

   universal elimination

3. chem a type of chemical reaction involving the loss of a simple molecule, such as water or carbon dioxide

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonelimination
  noun
• preelimination
  noun
• proelimination
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• eliminations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of elimination

First recorded in 1595–1605; eliminate + -ion

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Explanation

Elimination is the process of getting rid of something, whether it’s waste, errors, or the competition. Elimination comes from the Latin word limen, which means threshold. The Romans added an “e” to the beginning and created the verb eliminare, which means to banish or to push over the threshold and out the door. If you solve a multiple-choice question on a test using the process of elimination, you rule out the wrong possibilities one by one until you find the right answer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elimination eliminations

Then on Thursday, with the Dodgers on the brink of elimination, one swing wiped all that away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell, sitting next to soon-to-be free agent Tarik Skubal at their lockers in the aftermath of their team’s elimination from the National League Championship Series elimination, made a promise:

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

With his team on the verge of elimination, Anthony Volpe launched what looked like a game-tying home run, conjuring the spirits that once seemed to make their presence felt around these parts every October.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

That process of elimination has repeatedly played an important role in particle physics.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 23, 2026

By their elimination the total load of carcinogens would be enormously lightened, and the threat that one in every four will develop cancer would at least be greatly mitigated.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

Nadella criticized executives who have thought of AI technology as a tool for reducing costs through job eliminations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

But this isn’t to say that workers of any age should blithely assume they’ll be immune to job eliminations due to AI.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025

From the breakneck eliminations of “Chopped” to the glitzy stakes of “Top Chef,” it’s easy to feel as though food television has entered its well-worn phase — perfectly palatable, but lacking a certain secret ingredient.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024

Defending pro stock motorcycle winner Gaige Herrera leads six-time champion Matt Smith by 123 points in that category and could clinch the title before Sunday’s eliminations.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 15, 2024

The closing of breweries, distilleries, and saloons led to the eliminations of tens of thousands of jobs, including those formerly held by barrel makers, waiters, and truck drivers.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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Related Words

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