remove

American  

[ri-moov] / rɪˈmuv /

verb (used with object)

• removes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• removed,
  past participle,  past
• removing
  present participle

1. to move from a place or position; take away or off.

   to remove the napkins from the table.

   Synonyms:

   dislodge

   Antonyms:

   leave

2. to take off or shed (an article of clothing).

   to remove one's jacket.

3. to move or shift to another place or position; transfer.

   She removed the painting to another wall.

   Synonyms:

   transport, displace

4. to put out; send away.

   to remove a tenant.

5. to dismiss or force from a position or office; discharge.

   They removed him for embezzling.

6. to take away, withdraw, or eliminate.

   to remove the threat of danger.

7. to get rid of; do away with; put an end to.

   to remove a stain;

   to remove the source of disease.

8. to kill; assassinate.

   Synonyms:

   murder

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verb (used without object)

• removes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• removed,
  past participle,  past
• removing
  present participle

1. to move from one place to another, especially to another locality or residence.

   We remove to Newport early in July.

   Antonyms:

   remain

2. to go away; depart; disappear.

noun

1. the act of removing.

2. a removal from one place, as of residence, to another.

3. the distance by which one person, place, or thing is separated from another.

   to see something at a remove.

4. a mental distance from the reality of something as a result of psychological detachment or lack of experience.

   to criticize something at a remove.

5. a degree of difference, as that due to descent, transmission, etc..

   a folk survival, at many removes, of a druidic rite.

6. a step or degree, as in a graded scale.

7. British. a promotion of a pupil to a higher class or division at school.

remove British  

/ rɪˈmuːv /

verb

1. to take away and place elsewhere

2. to displace (someone) from office; dismiss

3. to do away with (a grievance, cause of anxiety, etc); abolish

4. to cause (dirt, stains, or anything unwanted) to disappear; get rid of

5. euphemistic to assassinate; kill

6. formal (intr) to change the location of one's home or place of business

   the publishers have removed to Mayfair

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noun

1. the act of removing, esp (formal) a removal of one's residence or place of work

2. the degree of difference separating one person, thing, or condition from another

   only one remove from madness

3. (in certain schools) a class or form, esp one for children of about 14 years, designed to introduce them to the greater responsibilities of a more senior position in the school

4. (at a formal dinner, formerly) a dish to be changed while the rest of the course remains on the table

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• removability
  noun
• remover
  noun
• preremove
  verb (used with object)
• removable
  adjective
• removably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Participles

• removing
  present
• removed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• remove
  simple
• removes
  simple
• have removed
  perfect
• has removed
  perfect
• am removing
  progressive
• are removing
  progressive
• is removing
  progressive
• have been removing
  perfect progressive
• has been removing
  perfect progressive

Past

• removed
  simple
• had removed
  perfect
• was removing
  progressive
• were removing
  progressive
• had been removing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will remove
  simple
• will have removed
  perfect
• will be removing
  progressive
• will have been removing
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of remove

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English verb remeven, remefen, remoeven, from Old French remouvoir, from Latin removēre; see re-, move

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Explanation

You can remove your name from a list, remove a stain from a t-shirt, or remove old furniture from your house. Whatever it is, when you remove something, you take it somewhere else or get rid of it completely. The verb remove usually means taking something off or getting rid of something. For example, when you take off your coat, you remove it, or when you remove a skillet from the heat, you take it off the burner. Remove can apply to people: a law-breaking politician who is removed from office. As a noun remove indicates distance, such as being at one remove from your cousin, getting all his news from his mother.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

remove removes removed removing

The visit also comes just weeks after Leo, who was diagnosed with cancer, had surgery to remove a tumor on his lung.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

While her feelings about Huang have changed as a result of the affairs, Hsieh said she would not remove the photos from her shop.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

Public libraries have also faced calls to remove his books.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

I plan to move ahead with excision surgery to get rid of the scar tissue that’s likely tethering my organs and to remove whatever endometriosis my doctors can find.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 12, 2026

I remove the mostly full trash bag from the bin and replace it with a new one.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Researchers estimate that marine snow removes more than 10 gigatons of carbon from surface waters each year.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 9, 2026

Additionally, Sentra’s technology removes any redundant or duplicative high-risk data that agents are notorious for finding and using in unexpected ways.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

It also removes much of the "ceremony of a political appearance", Zee says.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

Before sending emails, he rereads them and removes any jargon.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 23, 2026

Jupiter removes the apron and hangs it on a hook.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

While the fossil fuel transition has not been mentioned in COP decisions since Dubai, "it hasn't been removed either", Gore said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 13, 2026

Instead, some of them “were removed to third countries and then pushed back to the very place they fled. This vicious attack on due process and human rights has put thousands of lives in danger.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 13, 2026

References to his predecessors have been removed from the constitution.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

Some schools have removed David Walliams books from their libraries following the publication of allegations against the best-selling children's author and comedian.

From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2026

And since it had only recently been removed from the reactor, the fuel was hotter, too.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

“Attacks on physical equipment used to require specialist skills, time and money. AI is removing those barriers, which means far more connected devices are becoming viable targets.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026

Ahead of the summit, the UK and EU agreed a draft deal on removing post-Brexit checks from food and agriculture exports.

From BBC ● Nov. 13, 2026

A year-long process of cleaning the vessel, removing all toxins like fuel, paint and wiring, towing, environmental remediation, safety assurances, and eventual sinking cost roughly $13.5 million.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

New York Knicks star Josh Hart has relisted his sprawling Florida mansion for $5.69 million—just one year after removing the home from the selling block.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 10, 2026

She rummaged through the shelf, pushing books this way and that, removing small wooden boxes and grunting when she opened them.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

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Related Words

• abolish
• clear away
• cut out
• delete
• discard
• discharge
• dismiss
• eliminate
• erase
• evacuate
• expel
• extract
• get rid of
• oust
• pull out
• raise
• separate
• ship
• take out
• transfer

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