eradicate
verb
Did you know?
The Root of Eradicate Is, Literally, Root
Given that eradicate first meant "to pull up by the roots," it's not surprising that the root of eradicate means, in fact, "root." Eradicate, which first turned up in English in the 16th century, comes from eradicatus, the past participle of the Latin verb eradicare. Eradicare, in turn, can be traced back to the Latin word radix, meaning "root" or "radish." Although eradicate began life as a word for literal uprooting, by the mid-17th century it had developed a metaphorical application to removing things the way one might yank an undesirable weed up by the roots. Other descendants of radix in English include radical and radish. Even the word root itself is related; it comes from the same ancient word that gave Latin radix.
Examples of eradicate in a Sentence
Danielle Battaglia, Charlotte Observer, 13 May 2025
After initially eradicating chickweed plants, revisit the area weekly with a hoe to scuffle out seedlings that pop up.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 May 2025
The foundation still has numerous goals — eradicating polio, controlling other deadly diseases, such as malaria, and reducing malnutrition, which makes children more vulnerable to other illnesses.
—Thalia Beaty, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
Over the next 20 years, the Gates Foundation will focus on three main goals: ending preventable deaths of moms and babies, eradicating deadly infectious diseases and lifting hundreds of millions of people around the world out of poverty.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for eradicate
Cite this Entry
“Eradicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eradicate. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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