erasure

American  

[ih-rey-sher] / ɪˈreɪ ʃər /

noun

1. an act or instance of erasing.

2. a place where something has been erased; a spot or mark left after erasing.

   You can't sign a contract with so many erasures in it.

3. 1. the exclusion of a minority group or group member from the historical record, or from the discussion of current events: black victim erasure in the crime-bill debate.

      erasure of female scientists from textbooks;

      black victim erasure in the crime-bill debate.

   2. the replacement or whitewashing of a minority character or group with a member or members of the dominant cultural group in fictional representations of historical events.

      minority erasure in film.

   3. the denial of an individual’s or group’s minority identity, or the misidentification of a minority group member: cultural erasure and white identity among Chicanos.

      trans-erasure issues in the LGBT community;

      cultural erasure and white identity among Chicanos.

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erasure British  

/ ɪˈreɪʒə /

noun

1. the act or an instance of erasing

2. the place or mark, as on a piece of paper, where something has been erased

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Other Word Forms

• nonerasure noun

Etymology

Origin of erasure

First recorded in 1725–35; erase + -ure

Example Sentences

Houda Fonone, a Moroccan model and content creator who advocates for more authentic representations of black women, says the trend is about "erasure".

From BBC • Mar. 21, 2026

"New York is the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement, and no act of erasure will ever change, or silence, that history," he wrote on X.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

That longstanding erasure has made Natchez a less commercially friendly prospect to younger generations of visitors.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 6, 2026

They are affirming a worldview rooted in biblical record while fighting the erasure of the foundations upon which Western civilization is built.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

“Peña, Robert. Memory erasure: fail. Reprogram: fail. Purged 10-28-2277.”

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

Related Words

• deletion