eradication

American  

[ih-rad-i-key-shuhn] / ɪˌræd ɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• eradications
  plural

1. 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.

2. 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.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• eradications
  plural

Etymology

Origin of eradication

First recorded in 1540–50; from Latin ērādīcātiōn-, stem of ērādīcātiō, from ērādīcāre “to root out”; see 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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

eradication eradications

Resuming his polio project after the war, he concluded by the early 1950s that eradication would only be achieved if transmission could be prevented through halting viral replication in the gastrointestinal tract.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

"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

Calling the eradication of extortion “one of the great challenges” facing Mexico, Sheinbaum pledged to bolster enforcement, stiffen penalties and increase safeguards for anyone receiving threats.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 16, 2025

Muir added: "The most important thing going forward here is we focus on the eradication of this."

From BBC ● Dec. 1, 2025

Foege was one of the people responsible for the eradication of smallpox in the world and was known to favor unconventional solutions to supposedly impossible problems.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

There have been successful local disease eradications, but they often came at a price.

From Nature ● Oct. 14, 2019

If eradications in general are hard, eradications on inhabited islands are really hard.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 1, 2017

Campbell has been working on eradications in the Galápagos since 1997, including a 2006 campaign to remove all the feral goats and donkeys from Floreana.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 1, 2017

And whereas most rat eradications so far have targeted remote, uninhabited islands, the Galapagos is home to some 30,000 people and receives around 180,000 visitors each year.

From Nature ● May 15, 2013

History proves that persecution never triumphs in its attempted eradications.

From Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce by E. R. Billings

Related Words

• destruction
• elimination