eradicate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to remove or destroy utterly; extirpate.
to eradicate smallpox throughout the world.
- Synonyms:
- annihilate, exterminate, uproot, obliterate
-
to erase by rubbing or by means of a chemical solvent.
to eradicate a spot.
-
to pull up by the roots.
to eradicate weeds.
verb
-
to obliterate; stamp out
-
to pull or tear up by the roots
Synonym Usage
See abolish.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
eradicationnoun
-
eradicatornoun
-
eradicableadjective
-
eradicantadjective
-
eradicativeadjective
-
noneradicativeadjective
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uneradicatedadjective
-
uneradicativeadjective
-
eradicablyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eradicatesimple
-
eradicatessimple
-
have eradicatedperfect
-
has eradicatedperfect
-
am eradicatingprogressive
-
are eradicatingprogressive
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is eradicatingprogressive
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have been eradicatingperfect progressive
-
has been eradicatingperfect progressive
Past
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eradicatedsimple
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had eradicatedperfect
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was eradicatingprogressive
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were eradicatingprogressive
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had been eradicatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of eradicate
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin ērādīcātus “rooted out” (past participle of ērādīcāre ), equivalent to ē- e- 1 + rādīc- (stem of rādīx ) root 1 + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
To eradicate something is to get rid of it, to destroy it, and to kiss it goodbye. Eradicate is from the Latin word eradicare meaning "to root out." When you yank that weed up by the roots, it has been eradicated; it's not coming back. Eradicate often means to kill a bunch of somethings, like what you want the poison to do to the roach family and their extended relatives living in your house, and what we thought we did to bedbugs. You can also eradicate corruption, poverty, or diseases. Although there are all kinds of things to get rid of, we usually want to only eradicate the bad things.
Vocabulary lists containing eradicate
The Maze Runner
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Donald Trump Inauguration Address- January 20, 2017
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
He also wants to build so-called "mega-prisons" and use pesticides to eradicate coca crops.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
Once misinformation or disinformation takes root in the public sphere, it’s almost impossible to eradicate.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
“Just do something, even if it’s minimal, above and beyond the minimum payment to try to eradicate that as quickly as possible,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● May 8, 2026
Announcing the summit, the prime minister said "it is not enough to simply say we stand with Jewish communities", and that effort was needed across sectors to "eradicate antisemitism from every corner of society".
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
He was psychically injured from not winning the tournament, and he couldn’t eradicate the sting of his four bitter losses—robberies, he called them—to Tal.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
The immune system then recognizes and eradicates those spike proteins, thus learning how to defend against the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2022
Johnson added, “It helps the drought but by no means eradicates the drought.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2022
This “Dune” almost completely eradicates the arid, meandering vision and miscues of David Lynch’s 1984 film adaptation.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 20, 2022
Users must then push down on the lid to activate the technology, which the company claims eradicates more or less all bacteria and viruses in 60 seconds.
From BBC ● May 28, 2020
“We believe that preparation eradicates cowardice, which we define as the failure to act in the midst of fear,” says Four.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
The toxins bred in his mind by the brutalities of war cannot be eradicated, even if he can describe his sufferings with such deceptively majestic language.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The assistant referee gets an audio alert when a player is 10cm or more offside, so the delayed flag has largely been eradicated.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
It’s also because after being eradicated in the United States in the 1960s, the flesh-eating screwworm is back: A few cases have emerged in Texas.
From Slate ● Jun. 11, 2026
Still, the resurgence of the parasite, which was eradicated in the U.S. in the 1960s, comes at a time when the cattle industry is already facing drought, tariff battles and other challenges.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 10, 2026
It was important, Dumbledore said, to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then could evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated...
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
Completely eradicating the paper check, however, would be a steep psychological hill to climb.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
This summer's World Cup will see a high number of law changes, primarily around eradicating tactics to slow the tempo of play and waste time.
From BBC ● May 31, 2026
"Unfortunately, the industry as a whole has not succeeded in eradicating this cancer that is the abandonment of seafarers," said Arrachedi.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
The fake world has subsumed the real world, eradicating it and leaving nothing in its place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026
Television had shrunk the world, and had in the process become a great weapon for eradicating ignorance and promoting democracy.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
