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

A judge tentatively rejected a request for a temporary halt to the eradication of all mule deer on Catalina Island.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

While people mainly associate Rathlin Island with puffins, they have returned to the Isle of Muck nature reserve in County Antrim in recent years, after a rat eradication programme.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

In 2023, there were 12 documented cases of wild polio worldwide, and the disease is now on the verge of global eradication.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

He referred to a 10-point plan that Caribbean nations have put to European nations, including international debt cancellation, as well as support for healthcare and illiteracy eradication.

From Barron's ● May 28, 2026

I wrote a reply to his comment: We live in a universe devoted to the creation, and eradication, of awareness.

From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green

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

From Nature ● Oct. 14, 2019

Campbell has been working on eradications in the Galápagos since 1997, including a 2006 campaign to remove all the feral goats and donkeys from Floreana.

From Scientific American ● Nov. 1, 2017

If eradications in general are hard, eradications on inhabited islands are really hard.

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

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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