delete
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Usage
What is basic definition of delete? Delete means to remove or destroy something, specifically something that is written, printed, or stored on a computer. Before the Internet, delete often referred to removing something from drafts of books, letters, newspapers, and other materials. Today, delete often refers to either hitting a key on a keyboard that erases text or telling a computer to get rid of a file, as by placing a document in the trash can. A person may also want to delete (deactivate) a social media account.
- Real-life examples: When you’re writing an essay, you might delete some paragraphs and add others. To better use data storage space, you might delete all of your junk email or delete a bunch of photos from your smartphone.
- Used in a sentence: The reporter deleted the final two paragraphs of the story in order to make it shorter.
Synonym Usage
See cancel.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deletesimple
-
deletessimple
-
have deletedperfect
-
has deletedperfect
-
am deletingprogressive
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are deletingprogressive
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is deletingprogressive
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have been deletingperfect progressive
-
has been deletingperfect progressive
Past
-
deletedsimple
-
had deletedperfect
-
was deletingprogressive
-
were deletingprogressive
-
had been deletingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of delete
1485–95; < Latin dēlētus (past participle of dēlēre to destroy), equivalent to dēl- destroy + -ē- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix
Explanation
The author looked at the computer screen in horror. With one keystroke she had deleted her entire manuscript. Delete means to erase. Delete has its roots in Latin and was first used to mean destroy. In modern usage, delete means to remove completely. Delete used in writing means to edit by removing, often done by drawing a line through the text to be deleted . This process is also called “blue-penciling,” due to the use of the blue colored pencil that some editors use.
Vocabulary lists containing delete
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 7–11
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Computer Science and Technology - Introductory
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Fear and Loathing in Cleveland: Trump's RNC Acceptance Speech
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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:
He ordered Hanson to delete the tweet and pay Faruqi's legal costs.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Frequently review and delete the AI’s financial memories.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Some who have communicated with Epshteyn say he is cautious in his communications, even on messaging apps that automatically delete, and has told people not to put things in writing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 16, 2026
The woman alleged that Jackson repeatedly refused to delete the video and then taunted her with it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 2026
Several kinds of verbiage are perennial targets for the delete key.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
OpenAI automatically deletes temporary conversations from servers within 30 days.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026
Claude-powered AI coding agent deletes entire company database in 9 seconds.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
He said he deletes the entries of ICE agents who have quit.
From Slate ● Jan. 28, 2026
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the area devastated by the Eaton fire, also routinely deletes her text messages, her spokesperson said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2025
Ben deletes, retypes: What are the differences between America's far past and its recent past?
From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
The Times still sued the city, alleging that it unlawfully withheld and deleted the mayor’s text messages and other public records from the catastrophic wildfire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
It is hard to say if the deleted or restricted content had named or identified any of the four boys.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Sony has pulled similar moves before: in 2023, the company deleted over 1,000 seasons of Discovery TV shows customers had purchased due to content licensing arrangements.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
The notion is just as ill-considered as Mr. Platner’s deleted social media posts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
But I deleted it before anyone, especially Rabiya, got ahold of it.
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
Now he’s gone dark, deleting his X.com account after exchanging volleys with a radio reporter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
"After deleting Mitch, we examined, every few hours, the effect that had on more than 100 substances taking part in metabolism in human cells," Chourasia explains.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
While the tokens at large became tradeable, Sun said World Liberty has blocked him from being able to sell a single one, and is now threatening to "burn" his - deleting them entirely.
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
Summer Yue, an AI safety researcher at Meta, went viral on X when she posted screenshots showing OpenClaw disregarding her instructions and deleting the contents of her inbox.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
“I’m deleting the Stevie James wiki and throwing away my books.”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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.
