elimination

American  

[ih-lim-uh-ney-shuhn] / ɪˌlɪm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act of eliminating.

2. the state of being eliminated.

3. Mathematics. the process of solving a system of simultaneous equations by using various techniques to remove the variables successively.

4. Sports. a game, bout, or match in a tournament in which an individual or team is eliminated from the competition after one defeat.

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elimination British  

/ ɪˌlɪmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of eliminating or the state of being eliminated

2. logic (qualified by the name of an operation) a syntactic rule specifying the conditions under which a formula or statement containing the specified operation may permit the derivation of others that do not contain it

   conjunction-elimination

   universal elimination

3. chem a type of chemical reaction involving the loss of a simple molecule, such as water or carbon dioxide

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Other Word Forms

• nonelimination noun
• preelimination noun
• proelimination adjective

Etymology

Origin of elimination

First recorded in 1595–1605; eliminate + -ion

Explanation

Elimination is the process of getting rid of something, whether it’s waste, errors, or the competition. Elimination comes from the Latin word limen, which means threshold. The Romans added an “e” to the beginning and created the verb eliminare, which means to banish or to push over the threshold and out the door. If you solve a multiple-choice question on a test using the process of elimination, you rule out the wrong possibilities one by one until you find the right answer.

Example Sentences

"It's not all women of all ages yet, but you can see that concept of elimination being realised," Canfell said.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Australia - through public money and philanthropy - is now helping its neighbours, countries like Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, pursue elimination too.

From BBC • May 1, 2026

Rivas has attended and spoken at rallies by students and activists who called for the elimination of school police.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026

Dr. Ralph Abraham, his right-hand man at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently shrugged off rising measles cases, saying that losing our elimination status was simply the “cost of doing business.”

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

The first two days’ worth of competition was to whittle those two thousand plus fencers down to a manageable sixty-four when the elimination bouts began.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

Related Words

• destruction
• eradication
• expulsion
• rejection
• withdrawal