eliminate

[ ih-lim-uh-neyt ]

verb (used with object)

, e·lim·i·nat·ed, e·lim·i·nat·ing.

1. to remove or get rid of, especially as being in some way undesirable:

   to eliminate risks; to eliminate hunger.

   Synonyms: annihilate, exterminate, erase, eradicate, abolish, banish

   Antonyms: invite, get, obtain

2. to omit, especially as being unimportant or irrelevant; leave out:

   I have eliminated all statistical tables, which are of interest only to the specialist.

   Synonyms: exclude, except, delete, drop

   Antonyms: incorporate, admit, accept, include

3. to remove from further consideration or competition, especially by defeating in a contest.
4. to eradicate or kill:

   to eliminate the enemy.

5. Physiology. to void or expel from an organism.
6. Mathematics. to remove (a quantity) from an equation by elimination.

eliminate

/ ɪˈlɪmɪˌneɪt /

verb

1. to remove or take out; get rid of
2. to reject as trivial or irrelevant; omit from consideration
3. to remove (a competitor, team, etc) from a contest, usually by defeat
4. slang.
   to murder in a cold-blooded manner
5. physiol to expel (waste matter) from the body
6. maths to remove (an unknown variable) from two or more simultaneous equations

Usage

Eliminate is sometimes wrongly used to talk about avoiding the repetition of something undesirable: we must prevent (not eliminate ) further mistakes of this kind

Derived Forms

• eˈliminant, noun
• eˈlimiˌnator, noun
• eˌliminaˈbility, noun
• eˈliminable, adjective
• eˈliminative, adjective

Other Words From

• e·lim·i·na·bil·i·ty [ih-lim-, uh, -n, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], noun
• e·limi·native adjective
• none·limi·native adjective
• pree·limi·nate verb (used with object) preeliminated preeliminating
• une·limi·nated adjective
• well-e·limi·nated adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of eliminate¹

First recorded in 1560–70 and in 1915–20 eliminate fordef 4; from Latin ēlīminātus “turned out of doors” (past participle of ēlīmināre ), equivalent to ē- “from, out of” + līmin-, stem of līmen “threshold” + -ātus adjective suffix; e- ¹, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of eliminate¹

C16: from Latin ēlīmināre to turn out of the house, from e- out + līmen threshold

Related Words

• cancel
• defeat
• dispose of
• disqualify
• eradicate
• erase
• exclude
• get rid of
• ignore
• knock out
• oust
• phase out
• stamp out
• waive
• wipe out