eliminate

[ih-lim-uh-neyt]

verb (used with object)

eliminated, eliminating 

1. to remove or get rid of, especially as being in some way undesirable.

   to eliminate risks; to eliminate hunger.

   Synonyms: annihilate, exterminate, erase, eradicate, abolish, banish
   Antonyms: invite, get, obtain

2. to omit, especially as being unimportant or irrelevant; leave out.

   I have eliminated all statistical tables, which are of interest only to the specialist.

   Synonyms: exclude, except, delete, drop
   Antonyms: incorporate, admit, accept, include

3. to remove from further consideration or competition, especially by defeating in a contest.

4. to eradicate or kill.

   to eliminate the enemy.

5. Physiology.,  to void or expel from an organism.

6. Mathematics.,  to remove (a quantity) from an equation by elimination.

eliminate

/ ɪˈlɪmɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. to remove or take out; get rid of

2. to reject as trivial or irrelevant; omit from consideration

3. to remove (a competitor, team, etc) from a contest, usually by defeat

4. slang,  to murder in a cold-blooded manner

5. physiol to expel (waste matter) from the body

6. maths to remove (an unknown variable) from two or more simultaneous equations

Usage

Eliminate is sometimes wrongly used to talk about avoiding the repetition of something undesirable: we must prevent (not eliminate ) further mistakes of this kind

Other Word Forms

• eliminant noun
• eliminator noun
• eliminability noun
• eliminable adjective
• eliminative adjective
• noneliminative adjective
• preeliminate verb (used with object)
• uneliminated adjective
• well-eliminated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eliminate¹

First recorded in 1560–70 and in 1915–20 eliminate for def. 4; from Latin ēlīminātus “turned out of doors” (past participle of ēlīmināre ), equivalent to ē- “from, out of” + līmin-, stem of līmen “threshold” + -ātus adjective suffix; e- ¹, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of eliminate¹

C16: from Latin ēlīmināre to turn out of the house, from e- out + līmen threshold

Example Sentences

In a post on X it said the administration “will degrade, dismantle, and eliminate foreign terrorist organizations. We will free the Western Hemisphere from the grip of narco-terrorists.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The goal isn’t to eliminate stars’ expertise advantage, but to teach the learnable skills that can level the playing field.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Trials are costly, and plaintiffs and defendants alike overwhelmingly prefer to eliminate the risk of an all-or-nothing jury verdict by agreeing on a compromise dollar figure.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Brewers are in the championship series for the first time since 2018, earning their spot by eliminating the Chicago Cubs with a thrilling 3-1 victory on Saturday.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Asset managers hope that will reassure employers interested in alternative investments yet concerned about lawsuits, although regulation cannot fully eliminate the risk of litigation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cancel 
• defeat 
• dispose of 
• disqualify 
• eradicate 
• erase 
• exclude 
• get rid of 
• ignore 
• knock out 
• oust 
• phase out 
• stamp out 
• waive 
• wipe out