get rid of it completely

eliminate

verb|/ɪˈlɪm.ɪ.neɪt/

To completely remove or get rid of something.

Examples

In a meeting

Our goal is to eliminate manual data entry by automating the intake process.

Over coffee

I'm trying to eliminate sugar from my diet entirely.

Why this word

remove

eliminate implies complete and permanent removal, while remove may be temporary

delete

eliminate suggests thorough eradication from a system, while delete is specific to text or data

get rid of

eliminate is more formal and suggests systematic removal, while get rid of is colloquial

Usage tip

Stronger than 'reduce' — eliminate means total removal. If some remains, you reduced it, not eliminated it.

Etymology

Latin eliminare — e/ex (out) + limen (threshold), literally 'to turn out of doors'

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