erase

[ih-reys]

verb (used with object)

erased, erasing 

1. to rub or scrape out, as letters or characters written, engraved, etc.; efface.

   Synonyms: obliterate, expunge
   Antonyms: restore

2. to eliminate completely.

   She couldn't erase the tragic scene from her memory.

3. to obliterate (material recorded on magnetic tape or a magnetic disk).

   She erased the message.

   Antonyms: restore

4. to obliterate recorded material from (a magnetic tape or disk).

   He accidentally erased the tape.

5. Computers.,  to remove (data) from computer storage.

6. to exclude, replace, or refuse to recognize (the identity, experience, or contribution of a minority group or group member).

   Framing rape as a woman’s issue erases men’s accounts of sexual violence from public discourse.

7. Slang.,  to murder.

   The gang had to erase him before he informed on them.

verb (used without object)

erased, erasing 

1. to give way to effacement readily or easily.

2. to obliterate characters, letters, markings, etc., from something.

erase

/ ɪˈreɪz /

verb

1. to obliterate or rub out (something written, typed, etc)

2. (tr) to destroy all traces of; remove completely

   time erases grief

3. to remove (a recording) from (magnetic tape)

4. (tr) computing to replace (data) on a storage device with characters representing an absence of data

Other Word Forms

• erasability noun
• erasable adjective
• half-erased adjective
• nonerasable adjective
• unerasable adjective
• unerased adjective
• unerasing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of erase¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin ērāsus (past participle of ērādere ), equivalent to ē- e- ¹ + rāsus “scraped”; raze

Word History and Origins

Origin of erase¹

C17: from Latin ērādere to scrape off, from _ex- ¹ + rādere to scratch, scrape

Synonym Study

See cancel.

Example Sentences

Dozens of Art Deco buildings have been erased to give way to glass and steel facades, and hundreds more are under threat.

Read more on BBC

So why did the same technology erase some roles but not others?

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Stocks were broadly lower the day after it reported, and Friday’s bounce isn’t enough to erase recent losses.

Read more on Barron's

The high interest rate instantly erases any savings if the card’s balance isn’t paid off immediately.

Read more on MarketWatch

Both were last down well over 5%, erasing most of their gains from the previous day.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• abolish 
• delete 
• eliminate 
• expunge 
• negate 
• obliterate 
• wipe out