eradication
Americannoun
-
the complete removal, destruction, or erasure of something.
While I don't expect the eradication of poverty, I think that these social programs will have some positive impact.
Permanent eradication of an invasive species is time-consuming and often expensive.
-
the act or process of pulling or digging up a plant by the roots.
Two other cocaine-producing nations have avoided use of chemical herbicides on coca crops, preferring manual eradication instead.
Etymology
Origin of eradication
First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin ērādīcātiōn-, stem of ērādīcātiō, from ērādīcāre “to root out”; eradicate ( def. )
Explanation
When people talk about the eradication of something, they are referring to its total destruction. Imagine a movie villain destroying a planet with a massive laser beam and you'll have the right idea. If a gardener's goal is the eradication of every single weed in his back yard, he might start by uprooting dandelions. Fittingly, the root of eradication is the Latin word for "uproot," ērādīcāre. The eradication of anything, whether it's disease, poverty, war, or weeds, involves removing every last trace of it, right down to the roots.
Vocabulary lists containing eradication
President Obama's Speech on the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
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"Ideas Live On" by Benazir Bhutto (2007)
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Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The next phase of the country's development will be the eradication of extreme poverty. That is one of his priorities," said one of Wadagni's close associates.
From Barron's • Apr. 12, 2026
The argument over the restoration vs. eradication of canis lupus has raged here for years.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025
A programme of rat eradication began in 2017 and winter grazing has now been implemented to keep vegetation low, so predator cover is reduced.
From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025
Plan Colombia helped the economy and reduced violence overall, but it also displaced large numbers of people, and the drug eradication program was an environmental disaster.
From Salon • Oct. 21, 2025
Round cheeks, big lips, and an angry zit on the side of my nose that resisted all attempts at eradication.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
