delete

[dih-leet]

verb (used with object)

deleted, deleting 

1. to strike out or remove (something written or printed); cancel; erase; expunge.

   Synonyms: eradicate

delete

/ dɪˈliːt /

verb

1. (tr) to remove (something printed or written); erase; cancel; strike out

Other Word Forms

• deletable adjective
• redelete verb (used with object)
• undeleted adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of delete¹

1485–95; < Latin dēlētus (past participle of dēlēre to destroy), equivalent to dēl- destroy + -ē- thematic vowel + -tus past participle suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of delete¹

C17: from Latin dēlēre to destroy, obliterate

Synonym Study

See cancel.

Example Sentences

They are also helping victims delete and block content, and working to identify others who may have been affected.

Read more on BBC

The platform says it uses Meta's servers to store encrypted messages while they are being delivered but deletes them once this is done, and has refused to hand them over to governments.

Read more on Barron's

Emily says she posted the photo to her Instagram but "deleted it instantly" because the content wasn't engaging very well.

Read more on BBC

“These 10 seconds will be argued, debated, studied, and scrutinized for decades to come,” Patrick Lusch, the FAA’s lead investigator in the probe, said in a LinkedIn comment that has since been deleted.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A Japanese town deleted a social media post warning of a bear sighting after discovering that a picture it had received showing the fearsome creature was AI-generated.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• annul 
• black out 
• cross out 
• cut out 
• destroy 
• eliminate 
• erase 
• expunge 
• omit 
• remove 
• wipe out 

When To Use

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.