eradication

American  

[ih-rad-i-kay-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

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Etymology

Origin of eradication

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

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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

County Supervisor Janice Hahn long opposed the eradication, ever since a previous plan called for sharpshooters to take aim at the deer from helicopters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has long opposed the eradication, ever since a previous plan called for sharpshooters to take aim at the deer from helicopters.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

Texas also hosts a $9.6 billion white-tailed deer hunting industry, reliant on a population that has boomed since screwworm’s eradication.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 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

One was the fire ant eradication program in the South; the other was the spraying for the Japanese beetle in the Midwest.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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

From Nature ● Oct. 14, 2019

Such eradications require almost military-scale logistics and precision, which is why Campbell has been desperately seeking an alternative to the blunt-force tools of current techniques.

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

"It's very addictive, rat eradications, because in so much work we do in conservation it's the same battles year after year or decade after decade," McClelland says.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 8, 2012

History proves that persecution never triumphs in its attempted eradications.

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

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Related Words

• destruction
• elimination

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