eliminate

verb

elim·​i·​nate i-ˈli-mə-ˌnāt 

eliminated; eliminating

transitive verb

1

a

: to put an end to or get rid of : remove

eliminate errors

b

: to remove from consideration

eliminate someone as a suspect

c

: to remove from further competition by defeating

the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs

2

: to expel (waste) from the living body

3

mathematics : to cause to disappear by combining two or more equations

eliminate an unknown quantity

intransitive verb

: to expel waste from the living body

eliminative

i-ˈli-mə-ˌnā-tiv 

adjective

eliminator

i-ˈli-mə-ˌnā-tər 

noun

Synonyms

• ban
• bar
• close out
• count (out)
• debar
• except
• exclude
• freeze out
• rule out
• shut out

Examples of eliminate in a Sentence

Doctors seek to eliminate the causes of the epidemic.

The body naturally eliminates waste products.

The company plans to eliminate more than 2,000 jobs in the coming year.

She's trying to eliminate fatty foods from her diet.

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2022, county commissioners voted to eliminate the Corrections Department’s $2 daily room-and-board fee, a cost that was also rarely paid. —Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024

Netanyahu had been equally adamant in saying there is no there is no other way to eliminate Hamas. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 1 Apr. 2024

Odor-controlling, moisture-wicking fabric is basically made for poor-weather adventures, and the loose fit eliminates the sensation of being restricted by your clothing. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024

Following the departure of former Etsy CMO Ryan Scott in December, for example, COO Raina Moskowitz took charge of marketing at the online marketplace, and the company eliminated the stand-alone marketing role. —Lila MacLellan, Fortune, 1 Apr. 2024

The measure would also eliminate the discrepancy for simple battery. —Sejal Parekh, Sacramento Bee, 1 Apr. 2024

And putting containers in the street eliminates parking spots, which is always a politically fraught topic. —Larry Buchanan, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2024

Ireland eliminated its Immigrant Investor Programme in 2023. —Kathleen Peddicord, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024

An additional 14%, or about 280 positions, would be eliminated at the Bureau of Sanitation, which carries out cleanups at homeless encampments and removes large items from city curbs. —David Zahniser, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin eliminatus, past participle of eliminare, from e- + limin-, limen threshold

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Kids Definition

eliminate

verb

elim·​i·​nate i-ˈlim-ə-ˌnāt 

eliminated; eliminating

1

a

: to get rid of : remove

b

: to remove from further competition by defeating

2

: to expel from the living body

eliminative

-ˌnāt-iv 

adjective

eliminator

-ˌnāt-ər 

noun

Medical Definition

eliminate

transitive verb

elim·​i·​nate -ˌnāt 

eliminated; eliminating

: to expel (as waste) from the living body