eradicate

verb

erad·​i·​cate i-ˈra-də-ˌkāt How to pronounce eradicate (audio)
eradicated; eradicating

transitive verb

1
: to do away with as completely as if by pulling up by the roots
programs to eradicate illiteracy
2
: to pull up by the roots
eradicable adjective
eradication noun
eradicator noun

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.

Choose the Right Synonym for eradicate

exterminate, extirpate, eradicate, uproot mean to effect the destruction or abolition of something.

exterminate implies complete and immediate extinction by killing off all individuals.

exterminate cockroaches

extirpate implies extinction of a race, family, species, or sometimes an idea or doctrine by destruction or removal of its means of propagation.

many species have been extirpated from the area

eradicate implies the driving out or elimination of something that has established itself.

a campaign to eradicate illiteracy

uproot implies a forcible or violent removal and stresses displacement or dislodgment rather than immediate destruction.

the war uprooted thousands

Examples of eradicate in a Sentence

The disease has now been completely eradicated. His ambition is to eradicate poverty in his community.
Recent Examples on the Web One of those creations is RoboCop (Peter Weller), a law-enforcing cyborg who is programmed with the sole intent of eradicating the city’s crime problem—until memories of his human existence find their way back into his head. Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 Truth Initiative describes itself as the nation’s largest non-profit dedicated to investigating and eradicating the smoking habit, and wants directors and actors to think twice about including smoking or vaping in their projects. USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 Israel has vowed to secure the return of hostages and to eradicate Hamas. Robert Hart, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 First, the host delved into the current situation, which has seen Israel bombing Gaza in its efforts to eradicate Hamas following the terror group’s Oct. 7 surprise attack. James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Feb. 2024 All in an effort to eradicate the very real problem of open-air drug markets, which conservative commentators love to mock. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2024 In 2003, the organization filed a petition in India’s top court asking for strict enforcement of a law passed in the early 1990s that was meant to eradicate manual scavenging in India but was widely ignored. Suhasini Raj, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Agriculture was promoted and heavily subsidized to eradicate any thought of famine. Raf Casert, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024 For many mom-run accounts, comments from men — admiring, suggestive or explicit — are a recurring scourge to be eradicated, or an inescapable fact of life to be ignored. Michael H. Keller, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eradicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin eradicatus, past participle of eradicare, from e- + radic-, radix root — more at root

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of eradicate was in 1532

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Dictionary Entries Near eradicate

Cite this Entry

“Eradicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eradicate. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

eradicate

verb
erad·​i·​cate i-ˈrad-ə-ˌkāt How to pronounce eradicate (audio)
eradicated; eradicating
: to remove by or as if by uprooting : eliminate, destroy
eradicate weeds
eradicating a disease
eradication noun
Etymology

from Latin eradicatus, past participle of eradicare "to root out, pull up by the roots," from e-, ex- "out, forth" and radic-, radix "root" — related to radical, radish see Word History at radical

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