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eliminate
[ ih-lim-uh-neyt ]
/ ɪˈlɪm əˌneɪt /
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verb (used with object), e·lim·i·nat·ed, e·lim·i·nat·ing.
to remove or get rid of, especially as being in some way undesirable: to eliminate risks; to eliminate hunger.
to omit, especially as being unimportant or irrelevant; leave out: I have eliminated all statistical tables, which are of interest only to the specialist.
to remove from further consideration or competition, especially by defeating in a contest.
to eradicate or kill: to eliminate the enemy.
Physiology. to void or expel from an organism.
Mathematics. to remove (a quantity) from an equation by elimination.
OTHER WORDS FOR eliminate
1 do away with, banish, abolish, eradicate, erase, exterminate, cut out, annihilate, weed out, stamp out, rub out.
OPPOSITES FOR eliminate
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of eliminate
OTHER WORDS FROM eliminate
Words nearby eliminate
Elijah, Elijah Muhammad, Elijah's chair, Elijah's cup, Elikón, eliminate, elimination, elimination diet, eliminator, Elinor, ELINT
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use eliminate in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for eliminate
eliminate
/ (ɪˈlɪmɪˌneɪt) /
verb (tr)
to remove or take out; get rid of
to reject as trivial or irrelevant; omit from consideration
to remove (a competitor, team, etc) from a contest, usually by defeat
slang to murder in a cold-blooded manner
physiol to expel (waste matter) from the body
maths to remove (an unknown variable) from two or more simultaneous equations
Derived forms of eliminate
Word Origin for eliminate
C16: from Latin ēlīmināre to turn out of the house, from e- out + līmen threshold
usage for eliminate
Eliminate is sometimes wrongly used to talk about avoiding the repetition of something undesirable: we must prevent (not eliminate) further mistakes of this kind
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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