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

A man at the centre of an organised crime network has been secretly filmed telling BBC undercover reporters how he can help to erase fines of up to £60,000 for employing illegal workers.

Read more on BBC

Yet many common theoretical methods treat light and matter as separate entities, erasing this crucial link.

Read more on Science Daily

Chester Bennington's family also criticised the band with his son, Jaime, accusing remaining members of "quietly erasing" his father's "life and legacy".

Read more on BBC

Passage would erase the political map drawn by an independent commission, which voters empowered in 2010 for the express purpose of wrestling redistricting away from self-dealing lawmakers in Washington and Sacramento.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

They seemed finished until the ninth, clawing back close but never completely erasing the deficit — until Rojas saved the season with a tying home run to left.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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