delete

verb

de·​lete di-ˈlēt 

dē-

deleted; deleting

transitive verb

: to eliminate especially by blotting out, cutting out, or erasing

delete a passage in a manuscript

delete a computer file

The email was accidentally deleted.

deletable

di-ˈlē-tə-bəl 

dē-

adjective

an easily deletable photo

Synonyms of delete

• cancel
• erase
• remove
• censor

Examples of delete in a Sentence

Delete this name from the list.

When the movie was shown on TV all the swearwords had been deleted.

Recent Examples on the Web

Crump also said the family believes messages from social media apps had been deleted from Wells’s phone before it was returned and plans to hire forensic experts to recover any missing data. — Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 10 July 2026

The cameras capture vehicle details and location data but don’t use facial recognition, and information is automatically deleted after 30 days by default. — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026

Later in the evening, Webb deleted his account and has not reactivated it. — Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026

The Human-Aid philosophy wins when junior roles are redesigned around AI, not deleted by it, preserving the training ground every future leader still needs. — Dr. Adil Dalal, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin deletus, past participle of delēre to wipe out, destroy

First Known Use

1540, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing delete

• delete key

Rhymes for delete

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete

Kids Definition

delete

verb

de·​lete di-ˈlēt 

deleted; deleting

: to eliminate especially by blotting out, cutting out, or erasing

delete a part of the story

delete a computer file

deletion

di-ˈlē-shən

noun