eliminate

1 of 2

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

eliminator

2 of 2

noun

elim·​i·​na·​tor -ˌnātə(r) 

-ātə-

plural -s

: one that eliminates

eliminatory

-nəˌtōrē, 

-ȯr-, 

-ri, 

chiefly British -ˌnātəri or -ˌnā‧tri

adjective

Synonyms of eliminate

Verb

• exclude
• prevent
• ban
• prohibit

Examples of eliminate in a Sentence

Verb

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

Verb

Instead, the county approved a four-site plan that excludes Midland while also eliminating Sunday voting — another issue that had divided the board during lengthy negotiations. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 18 July 2026

Bourne previously worked for UC Davis, but her position was eliminated last year after the university announced budget cuts, according to previous Bee reporting. — Camryn Dadey, Sacbee.com, 18 July 2026

Peter DeCarlo, a professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, recommended using an air clearing device such as an air purifier to eliminate toxic air particles spread by the smoke. — Kristin Wright, NPR, 18 July 2026

Politicians on the right, from Bailey to Trump, have frequently used Illinois’ move to eliminate money bond as a cudgel against Democrats, blaming Chicago’s violent crime on the change. — Dan Petrella, Chicago Tribune, 18 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb

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

First Known Use

Verb

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Rhymes for eliminate

• abbreviate
• accelerate
• accommodate
• accumulate
• acuminate
• adjudicate
• adulterate
• affiliate
• agglomerate
• agglutinate
• alleviate
• amalgamate

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