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

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

Wie’s group is developing versions of these robots that biodegrade after use, eliminating the need for surgical removal, and coatings that make the robots compatible with human tissue.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In 2018, California voters approved Proposition 7, which would allow the state Legislature to approve either permanent daylight saving time or permanent standard time — eliminating the annual time shifts — with a two-thirds vote.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Congress’ positions on procedural issues, such as raising the debt ceiling or eliminating the filibuster, also increasingly depend not on bedrock principles but on who occupies the White House.

Read more on Salon

"With serious opponents eliminated from the competition", Embalo's victory is a foregone conclusion, lawyer and political activist Fransual Dias told AFP.

Read more on Barron's

The companies could opt to fund AI investments by eliminating share buybacks, which would mean those investments would take the ratio of capex to cash flow back to the low 70% range.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

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