elimination
Americannoun
-
the act of eliminating.
-
the state of being eliminated.
-
Mathematics. the process of solving a system of simultaneous equations by using various techniques to remove the variables successively.
-
Sports. a game, bout, or match in a tournament in which an individual or team is eliminated from the competition after one defeat.
noun
-
the act of eliminating or the state of being eliminated
-
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
-
chem a type of chemical reaction involving the loss of a simple molecule, such as water or carbon dioxide
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of elimination
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.
Vocabulary lists containing elimination
John F. Kennedy's Address to the American People on the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
On Your Mark, Get Set, Commence Your Life!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Amigo Brothers" and "Lean on Me"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Then, last year, organizational restructuring led to the elimination of several teams, including his.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
International experts are set to meet later this year to decide whether the U.S. should lose its elimination status.
From Slate ● Jul. 24, 2026
Canada and Mexico have also experienced major outbreaks involving multiple deaths, raising concerns about whether North America can maintain its measles elimination status.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Brit has stared down near-certain elimination in multiple matches, repeatedly breaking his opponents’ momentum with Houdini-like on-court acts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
The field would be divided into two groups of three for a preliminary elimination heat on July 4.
From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown
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
A common theme of the Dodgers’ recent postseason failings has been high-powered lineups sputtering in surprise playoff eliminations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2024
There were no eliminations, but the team with the best record would get extra credit.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
