eliminate

verb

elim·​i·​nate i-ˈli-mə-ˌnāt How to pronounce eliminate (audio)
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 adjective
eliminator noun

Examples of eliminate in a Sentence

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Appropriate regulations that clearly define this distinction will enhance and streamline the ecosystem, helping eliminate fraud and misinformation. Abubakar Nur Khalil, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 Reports indicate that some Republican senators have been weighing whether eliminating the California rules justifies breaking that norm. Camila Domonoske, NPR, 1 May 2025 In a letter to Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky ahead of his Wednesday presentation to the budget committee, McDonnell argued against eliminating hundreds of jobs and said that the staffing reductions could lead to the closure of three city jails. Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2025 Consumer advocates say that safety is threatened because of a proposal by the administration of President Donald Trump to eliminate the agency and put the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in charge of overseeing the safety of more than 15,000 types of consumer products. Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for eliminate

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1628, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of eliminate was in 1628

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Eliminate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eliminate. Accessed 6 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

eliminate

verb
elim·​i·​nate i-ˈlim-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce eliminate (audio)
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 adjective
eliminator noun

Medical Definition

eliminate

transitive verb
elim·​i·​nate -ˌnāt How to pronounce eliminate (audio)
eliminated; eliminating
: to expel (as waste) from the living body

More from Merriam-Webster on eliminate

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