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

View gallery - 11 images A sharp, new twist on the classic moka pot, the Turbo Moka packs a unique design that deletes the line between function and flair. —New Atlas, 18 Dec. 2025

Amid mounting scrutiny, AQSLC deleted its Facebook and Instagram pages, though the group restored its latter account after tensions subsided. —Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 17 Dec. 2025

This law should also guarantee people the right to access, correct and delete their data. —The Editors, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025

The removal of the citations was not documented in the case file, and a line item in Nevada OSHA’s case diary that described the meeting was later deleted from a public record, Fortune found. —Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 16 Dec. 2025

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