elimination

American  

[ih-lim-uh-ney-shuhn] / ɪˌlɪm əˈneɪ ʃən /

noun

eliminations plural

1. the act of eliminating.

2. the state of being eliminated.

3. Mathematics. the process of solving a system of simultaneous equations by using various techniques to remove the variables successively.

4. Sports. a game, bout, or match in a tournament in which an individual or team is eliminated from the competition after one defeat.

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elimination British  

/ ɪˌlɪmɪˈneɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of eliminating or the state of being eliminated

2. logic (qualified by the name of an operation) a syntactic rule specifying the conditions under which a formula or statement containing the specified operation may permit the derivation of others that do not contain it

   conjunction-elimination

   universal elimination

3. chem a type of chemical reaction involving the loss of a simple molecule, such as water or carbon dioxide

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonelimination
  noun
• preelimination
  noun
• proelimination
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• eliminations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of elimination

First recorded in 1595–1605; eliminate + -ion

Explanation

Elimination is the process of getting rid of something, whether it’s waste, errors, or the competition. Elimination comes from the Latin word limen, which means threshold. The Romans added an “e” to the beginning and created the verb eliminare, which means to banish or to push over the threshold and out the door. If you solve a multiple-choice question on a test using the process of elimination, you rule out the wrong possibilities one by one until you find the right answer.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elimination eliminations

Canada and Mexico have also experienced major outbreaks involving multiple deaths, raising concerns about whether North America can maintain its measles elimination status.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Multiple elimination rounds will ensure a majority for the eventual winner.

From Slate ● Jul. 16, 2026

The company also said it will eliminate about 2% of total positions through layoffs and the elimination of certain open roles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

Times reported that Native Americans were calling for the elimination of Fullerton High School’s warrior mascot, but the school denied complete removal.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Only his death had saved Nox from elimination.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

Nadella criticized executives who have thought of AI technology as a tool for reducing costs through job eliminations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

But this isn’t to say that workers of any age should blithely assume they’ll be immune to job eliminations due to AI.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2025

And there were genuine October doubts to overcome, after upset first-round eliminations the two previous years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025

From the breakneck eliminations of “Chopped” to the glitzy stakes of “Top Chef,” it’s easy to feel as though food television has entered its well-worn phase — perfectly palatable, but lacking a certain secret ingredient.

From Salon ● Dec. 25, 2024

The closing of breweries, distilleries, and saloons led to the eliminations of tens of thousands of jobs, including those formerly held by barrel makers, waiters, and truck drivers.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

Related Words

• destruction
• eradication
• expulsion
• rejection
• withdrawal