eradication
Americannoun
-
the complete removal, destruction, or erasure of something.
While I don't expect the eradication of poverty, I think that these social programs will have some positive impact.
Permanent eradication of an invasive species is time-consuming and often expensive.
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the act or process of pulling or digging up a plant by the roots.
Two other cocaine-producing nations have avoided use of chemical herbicides on coca crops, preferring manual eradication instead.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of eradication
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin ērādīcātiōn-, stem of ērādīcātiō, from ērādīcāre “to root out”; see eradicate ( def. )
Explanation
When people talk about the eradication of something, they are referring to its total destruction. Imagine a movie villain destroying a planet with a massive laser beam and you'll have the right idea. If a gardener's goal is the eradication of every single weed in his back yard, he might start by uprooting dandelions. Fittingly, the root of eradication is the Latin word for "uproot," ērādīcāre. The eradication of anything, whether it's disease, poverty, war, or weeds, involves removing every last trace of it, right down to the roots.
Vocabulary lists containing eradication
President Obama's Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
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"Ideas Live On" by Benazir Bhutto (2007)
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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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.
Firli Bahuri, who heads the Corruption Eradication Commission, is the latest official in the administration of President Joko Widodo to face graft allegations.
From Reuters • Nov. 23, 2023
Eradication is the ultimate in both equity and sustainability, because it is for everyone and forever.
From Science Magazine • Sep. 18, 2023
Joseph Swan, from the World Health Organization and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, said more stable vaccines were a "significant part" of the plan for a polio-free world.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2023
Adam Weiss, the director of the center’s Guinea Worm Eradication Program, said Carter would try to console patients and hold their hands as they shrieked when the worm emerged.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2023
Eradication there would be a formidable undertaking, considering the vast areas involved and the probability of re-invasion from Mexico.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
