deletion

American  

[dih-lee-shuhn] / dɪˈli ʃən /

noun

1. an act or instance of deleting.

2. the state of being deleted.

3. a deleted word, passage, etc.

4. Genetics. a type of chromosomal aberration in which a segment of the chromosome is removed or lost.

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deletion British  

/ dɪˈliːʃən /

noun

1. the act of deleting or fact of being deleted

2. a deleted passage, word, etc, in text

3. the loss or absence of a section of a chromosome

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Etymology

Origin of deletion

1580–90; < Latin dēlētiōn- (stem of dēlētiō ) a destroying, equivalent to dēlēt ( us ) ( delete ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Desktop agents are still at an early research stage and come with a huge number of risks, including data deletion and exfiltration.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

As an added safeguard, the platform can include a process known as homology-based deletion, which allows scientists to remove the inserted genetic cassette if necessary.

From Science Daily • Feb. 18, 2026

Can you request deletion of your contributions if you leave?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 15, 2026

Commissioner Rasha Gerges Shields said it lacked guardrails against the inadvertent deletion of pertinent records.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

In August’s case, the doctors were able to identify one of the “single nucleotide deletion mutations” that made war on his face.

From "Wonder" by R. J. Palacio