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.
Related Words
See cancel.
Other Word Forms
- deletable adjective
- redelete verb (used with object)
- undeleted adjective
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
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.
Mizelle said Slater and her team were instrumental in editing the draft after Woodward presented it, “including adding/deleting specific substantive terms.”
Consumers who want their data deleted should contact the company through official channels, usually listed in its privacy policy, and follow the procedures the company sets out.
BBC Verify was unable to find the route, though it was possible it was later deleted or the user's privacy settings were changed.
From BBC
Those songs will undoubtedly be scrutinised by fans, especially after Jungkook recently posted, and then deleted, a livestream video in which he shared his frustrations with life as a K-Pop idol.
From BBC
When agents go rogue, they can tamper with or delete valuable files.
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.
