eradicate
verb
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The Root of Eradicate Is, Literally, Root
Given that eradicate first meant "to pull up by the roots," it's not surprising that the root of eradicate means, in fact, "root." Eradicate, which first turned up in English in the 16th century, comes from eradicatus, the past participle of the Latin verb eradicare. Eradicare, in turn, can be traced back to the Latin word radix, meaning "root" or "radish." Although eradicate began life as a word for literal uprooting, by the mid-17th century it had developed a metaphorical application to removing things the way one might yank an undesirable weed up by the roots. Other descendants of radix in English include radical and radish. Even the word root itself is related; it comes from the same ancient word that gave Latin radix.
Synonyms
Examples of eradicate in a Sentence
Eric Min, Foreign Affairs, 24 July 2024
But the Fat Man remains companies like Craigslist, Google and Facebook, which eradicated the traditional business model of news organizations — advertising.
—Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024
The community tried to weigh in on the plans, arguing that the construction would destroy the reef, damage marine life, and potentially change or eradicate the wave.
—Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 July 2024
Israel vowed to eradicate Hamas after the group’s fighters killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage in an Oct. 7 attack, according to Israeli tallies.
—Reuters, NBC News, 20 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for eradicate 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'eradicate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Eradicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/eradicate. Accessed 5 Aug. 2024.
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