eradicate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to remove or destroy utterly; extirpate.
to eradicate smallpox throughout the world.
- Synonyms:
- annihilate, exterminate, uproot, obliterate
-
to erase by rubbing or by means of a chemical solvent.
to eradicate a spot.
-
to pull up by the roots.
to eradicate weeds.
verb
-
to obliterate; stamp out
-
to pull or tear up by the roots
Synonym Usage
See abolish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
eradicationnoun
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eradicatornoun
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eradicableadjective
-
eradicantadjective
-
eradicativeadjective
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noneradicativeadjective
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uneradicatedadjective
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uneradicativeadjective
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eradicablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eradicatesimple
-
eradicatessimple
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have eradicatedperfect
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has eradicatedperfect
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am eradicatingprogressive
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are eradicatingprogressive
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is eradicatingprogressive
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have been eradicatingperfect progressive
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has been eradicatingperfect progressive
Past
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eradicatedsimple
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had eradicatedperfect
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was eradicatingprogressive
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were eradicatingprogressive
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had been eradicatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of eradicate
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin ērādīcātus “rooted out” (past participle of ērādīcāre ), equivalent to ē- e- 1 + rādīc- (stem of rādīx ) root 1 + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To eradicate something is to get rid of it, to destroy it, and to kiss it goodbye. Eradicate is from the Latin word eradicare meaning "to root out." When you yank that weed up by the roots, it has been eradicated; it's not coming back. Eradicate often means to kill a bunch of somethings, like what you want the poison to do to the roach family and their extended relatives living in your house, and what we thought we did to bedbugs. You can also eradicate corruption, poverty, or diseases. Although there are all kinds of things to get rid of, we usually want to only eradicate the bad things.
Vocabulary lists containing eradicate
The Maze Runner
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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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.
But he also shares his hard-won wisdom: "Eradicate any kind of energy that pins you down... Accumulate all that you need and help the people eat."
From BBC • Sep. 10, 2025
Featured speakers at a three-day Eradicate Hate Global Summit, held in Pittsburgh this week, included experts alongside survivors and relatives of victims.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 22, 2021
Eradicate money and marketing from the Olympic haemoglobin.
From The Guardian • Jul. 31, 2012
Today we focus in on 25 key areas," he says, then starts ticking them off on his strong fingers: "Eradicate malaria.
From The Guardian • Jul. 12, 2010
Koku, laughing, tried to explain that it was all an accident, but Eradicate would not listen.
From Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel, or, the Hidden City of the Andes by Appleton, Victor [pseud.]
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
