eradicate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to remove or destroy utterly; extirpate.
to eradicate smallpox throughout the world.
- Synonyms:
- annihilate, exterminate, uproot, obliterate
-
to erase by rubbing or by means of a chemical solvent.
to eradicate a spot.
-
to pull up by the roots.
to eradicate weeds.
verb
-
to obliterate; stamp out
-
to pull or tear up by the roots
Related Words
See abolish.
Other Word Forms
- eradicable adjective
- eradicably adverb
- eradicant adjective
- eradication noun
- eradicative adjective
- eradicator noun
- noneradicative adjective
- uneradicated adjective
- uneradicative adjective
Etymology
Origin of eradicate
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin ērādīcātus “rooted out” (past participle of ērādīcāre ), equivalent to ē- e- 1 + rādīc- (stem of rādīx ) root 1 + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To eradicate something is to get rid of it, to destroy it, and to kiss it goodbye. Eradicate is from the Latin word eradicare meaning "to root out." When you yank that weed up by the roots, it has been eradicated; it's not coming back. Eradicate often means to kill a bunch of somethings, like what you want the poison to do to the roach family and their extended relatives living in your house, and what we thought we did to bedbugs. You can also eradicate corruption, poverty, or diseases. Although there are all kinds of things to get rid of, we usually want to only eradicate the bad things.
Vocabulary lists containing eradicate
The Maze Runner
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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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.
China and other countries, Cambodia’s government in recent months embarked on a nationwide crackdown it said would eradicate online-scam activity by the end of April.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The plan is part of the mayor's strategy to eradicate death and serious injury from London's roads by 2041.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
"My next chapter must be to eradicate this devastating disease from our shores once and for all," said Steenhuisen, whose handling of the crisis has been sharply criticised.
From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026
That is certainly true in the medical sector, where digital technology has done little to eradicate long wait times for medical appointments or in emergency rooms.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
“We aren’t trying to eradicate peculiardom—we’re trying to save it!”
From "Hollow City" by Ransom Riggs
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.
