eradicate

IPA/ɪˈrædɪkeɪt/
KK[ɪrˈædəkˌet]IPA/ɪˈrædɪkeɪt/

eradicate — verb

  • eradicatepresent simple I / you / we / they
  • eradicateshe / she / it
  • eradicatedpast simple
  • eradicating-ing form

1. to remove or destroy something such as a disease, a social problem, or an unwant

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to remove or destroy something such as a disease, a social problem, or an unwanted group of organisms so that it no longer exists anywhere

Example

The government launched a nationwide campaign to eradicate polio from the region.

collocation: eradicate + disease (polio)

Maeve believes that education is the best way to eradicate poverty in rural areas.

Common collocations
  • eradicate poverty
  • eradicate disease
  • eradicate corruption
  • eradicate inequality
  • eradicate illiteracy
  • completely eradicate
  • successfully eradicate
  • effectively eradicate
Synonyms
  • eliminate

    weaker than 'eradicate'; means to remove or get rid of, but not necessarily leaving nothing behind

  • wipe out

    informal equivalent; often used for groups or populations rather than abstract concepts

  • stamp out

    more active and forceful; suggests using deliberate effort to end something

  • abolish

    used specifically for laws, systems, or institutions, not diseases or organisms

Antonyms
  • foster

    means to encourage the growth or development of something

  • cultivate

    suggests actively developing something rather than destroying it

Grammar Patterns

eradicate + noun phrase (disease, problem, pest)

be eradicated from + place

eradicate + noun phrase + through + method

Usage Note

The object of this sense is typically something widespread and considered harmful — diseases, social problems, invasive species, or institutional practices. 'Eradicate' is stronger than 'eliminate' because it implies total and permanent removal, not just reduction.

Common Mistakes

The team eradicated the project before the deadline.
The team completed the project before the deadline.
'eradicate' means to destroy completely, not to finish a task.
I eradicated the coffee stain with a wet cloth.
I removed the coffee stain with a wet cloth.
'eradicate' is too strong for everyday cleaning situations.

2. to kill every member of a group of people, animals, or other organisms, leaving

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to kill every member of a group of people, animals, or other organisms, leaving none behind

Example

Without intervention, the disease could eradicate ninety percent of the wild rabbit population.

pattern: could eradicate + percentage + population

Colonial forces tried to eradicate the indigenous population through systematic violence.

Common collocations
  • eradicate a population
  • eradicate a species
  • eradicate pests
  • completely eradicate
  • nearly eradicate
Synonyms
  • annihilate

    equally strong; emphasises total destruction down to nothing

  • exterminate

    more clinical; often used for pests or in historical contexts of genocide

  • decimate

    weaker; technically means to kill one in ten, but often used loosely to mean 'destroy a large portion of'

Antonyms
  • preserve

    to keep alive and protected

  • protect

    to shield from harm or destruction

Grammar Patterns

eradicate + noun phrase (population, species, group)

be eradicated by + agent

Usage Note

This sense carries a stronger destructive force than sense 1. It typically takes population nouns as objects and implies violence or lethality rather than systematic removal. 'Annihilate' and 'exterminate' are near synonyms in this sense.

Common Mistakes

The company eradicated its old filing system.
The company replaced its old filing system.
'eradicate' in this sense implies killing living beings, not removing objects or systems.

3. to pull a plant completely out of the ground, including all of its roots, so tha

3.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to pull a plant completely out of the ground, including all of its roots, so that it cannot grow back

Example

Gardeners must eradicate bindweed completely, or it will regrow from any root fragment left behind.

literal sense: pulling plant out by the roots

Eli showed his daughter how to eradicate dandelions by loosening the soil around the taproot.

Common collocations
  • eradicate weeds
  • eradicate thistles
  • eradicate bindweed
  • eradicate dandelions
  • completely eradicate
Synonyms
  • uproot

    the most direct synonym; less formal and more commonly used in gardening contexts

  • root out

    phrasal verb; emphasises searching for and removing every trace of the roots

  • pull out

    less formal; not specific to roots

Antonyms
  • plant

    to place in the ground to grow

  • cultivate

    to care for and encourage growth

Grammar Patterns

eradicate + noun phrase (plant, weed, tree)

Usage Note

This is the original, literal meaning of the word, from Latin 'eradicare' (to root out). In modern contexts it is used mainly in gardening, agriculture, and ecology writing. Distinguish from sense 1, which applies the same 'uprooting' idea metaphorically to abstract things.

Common Mistakes

She eradicated the weeds by cutting them at ground level.
She eradicated the weeds by pulling them out with their roots.
If the roots remain, the plant is not eradicated; it can grow back.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words share the core idea of removing something, but they differ in intensity and domain. 'Eliminate' is the broadest and weakest — it means to get rid of something, but not necessarily forever or down to nothing ('The company eliminated three jobs'). 'Wipe out' is an informal phrasal verb with a similar intensity to 'eradicate', often used for groups or populations ('The storm wiped out the entire village'). 'Stamp out' adds a sense of deliberate, forceful action, usually applied to practices or behaviours rather than diseases ('The authorities tried to stamp out corruption'). 'Abolish' is restricted to laws, institutions, or systems ('South Africa abolished apartheid in 1991'). When choosing between them: use 'abolish' for official systems, 'stamp out' for undesirable practices, 'wipe out' for informal destruction of groups, and 'eliminate' as a neutral, all-purpose alternative. For total, permanent removal of a disease or problem, 'eradicate' is the strongest choice.

eliminate ↗wipe out ↗stamp out ↗abolish ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • once and for all
  • at its root
  • through vaccination
  • through education

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin 'eradicare' (to root out, tear out by the roots), formed from 'e-' (out of) and 'radix' (root). The word entered English in the 15th century with its literal meaning of pulling plants out by the roots. By the 16th century it had already gained the figurative sense of completely destroying or eliminating something.