elide

American  

[ih-lahyd] / ɪˈlaɪd /

verb (used with object)

elided, eliding

1. to omit (a vowel, consonant, or syllable) in pronunciation.

2. to suppress; omit; ignore; pass over.

3. Law. to annul or quash.

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elide British  

/ ɪˈlaɪd /

verb

1. phonetics to undergo or cause to undergo elision

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Other Word Forms

• elidible
  adjective
• unelided
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of elide

First recorded in 1530–50; from Latin ēlīdere “to strike out,” equivalent to ē- “out, out of; away” + -līdere, combining form of laedere “to wound”; see e- ¹

Explanation

To elide something is to omit it or get rid of it. If your parents are especially strict, you might tell them about the A you got on your English essay and elide the fact that you failed your math quiz. If your school is putting on a production of "Grease" and the director cuts a major scene from the play, you can say she elides it. And when an elected official gives a speech, he's almost sure to elide certain topics that are too controversial or negative. Elide is also used in grammar to describe the way people speak when they leave out certain sounds. It comes from the Latin elidere, "strike out or force out."

Example Sentences

But this kind of ludicrous fantasy allows Hegseth to elide the deep paradox of his argument.

From Salon • Nov. 14, 2024

Critics have concluded, absolutely correctly, that this provision serves to elide the manifold horrors of slavery by searching out its good side.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 25, 2023

The problems with the analogy were evident from the lengths Ely went to to elide them.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2023

This served to elide the question of how much he was working at all.

From The Verge • Nov. 29, 2021

One could of course adopt the term ‘progressivist’, but that would elide all the difficulties that are associated with the idea of progress.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton