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
Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
Ease of use The goal of a fruit fly trap is to easily and quickly eradicate your population of fruit flies.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025
But in 2025, there are signs that the virus is not quite ready to go the way of smallpox - the only disease eradicated by humans.
—Ruchi Kumar, NPR, 16 Apr. 2025
Measles was thought to be eradicated in the U.S., according to the World Health Organization.
—Mike Stunson, Kansas City Star, 15 Apr. 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 4 May. 2025.
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