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

Manning also emphasizes the importance of turning off notifications so teachers can engage with emails on their own time, as well as deleting their work email from their personal phones completely. —Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 18 Apr. 2026

Horrified reactions followed from prominent conservative evangelical voices, and that post was deleted. —Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 17 Apr. 2026

The posts, which were later deleted, were published shortly after Kirk’s death. —Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026

Shall Section 6 of Chapter XXVI of the Fort Worth City Charter be deleted, removing a requirement of public service corporations to submit an annual report to the city, since that information is readily available from the state and via the internet? —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Apr. 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