elimination

elimination — noun

1. The act of making something unwanted or unnecessary disappear completely from a

1.nounB2
Definition

The act of making something unwanted or unnecessary disappear completely from a particular place, system, or situation.

Example

The city's new water filters ensure the elimination of harmful bacteria from the drinking supply.

the elimination of [something] from [somewhere]

Dr. Talia's research focuses on the elimination of single-use plastics in hospital operating rooms.

Common collocations
  • elimination of waste
  • elimination of toxins
  • elimination of errors
  • complete elimination
  • gradual elimination
  • total elimination
Synonyms
  • removal

    more general; does not always imply complete disappearance

  • eradication

    stronger; suggests wiping out entirely, often used for diseases or pests

  • deletion

    limited to digital or written content

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

elimination of something

the elimination of something from something

Usage Note

Often followed by 'of' to specify what is being removed, and optionally 'from' to indicate the location or domain.

Common Mistakes

The elimination of the problem was done by the team.
The team eliminated the problem.
Use the verb form when possible; 'elimination' as a noun can make the sentence unnecessarily wordy.
They are working on elimination poverty.
They are working on the elimination of poverty.
'Elimination' requires 'of' before the thing being removed.

2. A logical method of finding the correct answer or solution by rejecting all unli

2.nounB2
Definition

A logical method of finding the correct answer or solution by rejecting all unlikely or incorrect possibilities one after another until only the right one remains.

Example

By process of elimination, Devika deduced that the missing passport must be in her suitcase.

By process of elimination + logical deduction

Unable to find the fault, the mechanic used process of elimination to check each component.

used process of elimination to + action

Common collocations
  • process of elimination
  • by process of elimination
  • through process of elimination
  • rule out
Synonyms
  • deduction

    broader; does not require ruling out alternatives step by step

  • reasoning

    more general; any logical thought process

  • filtering

    informal; suggests sifting through options

Antonyms
  • guesswork

    relying on luck rather than logical elimination

Grammar Patterns

by process of elimination

through process of elimination

the process of elimination

Usage Note

Almost always appears in the fixed phrases 'process of elimination' or 'by/through process of elimination.' Commonly used in reasoning, puzzle-solving, detective work, medical diagnosis, and troubleshooting contexts. The article 'the' is optional in the phrase: 'by process of elimination' and 'by the process of elimination' are both acceptable.

Common Mistakes

I used the elimination process to find the answer.
I used process of elimination to find the answer.
The fixed phrase is 'process of elimination,' not 'elimination process.'
By elimination process, we found the cause.
By process of elimination, we found the cause.
The full fixed phrase must be used.

3. The removal of a player or team from a competition after they have lost a match

3.nounB2
Definition

The removal of a player or team from a competition after they have lost a match or failed to meet the required standard to proceed.

Example

Minh's early elimination from the tennis tournament left his coaches and supporters stunned.

early elimination from [competition]

The team faced elimination after losing three matches in a row during the group stage.

face elimination after + result

Common collocations
  • early elimination
  • face elimination
  • suffer elimination
  • elimination from the tournament
  • elimination round
Synonyms
  • defeat

    focuses on the loss itself, not the removal from the competition

  • exit

    neutral; can be voluntary or involuntary

  • expulsion

    stronger and more formal; implies being forced out for a rule violation

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

elimination from [competition]

face elimination

suffer elimination

Usage Note

Frequently used in sports, game shows, and other competitive contexts. Often paired with 'from' to indicate which competition the player or team has left. Common adjectives include 'early,' 'shock,' 'surprise,' and 'narrow.'

Common Mistakes

The team's elimination of the match disappointed fans.
The team's elimination from the tournament disappointed fans.
Use 'elimination from,' not 'elimination of,' in competition contexts.
The player eliminated in the first round.' (ambiguous)
The player suffered elimination in the first round.
Avoid using 'eliminated' ambiguously without context when the noun form is clearer.

Word family

  • eliminate
    verbB2
  • eliminative
    adjectiveC1
  • eliminator
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Removal is the most general term for taking something away from where it was. Expulsion suggests being forced out of a group or place, often with a sense of punishment or rejection — it carries a stronger negative tone than elimination. Erasure focuses on completely wiping something out as if it never existed; it is more emphatic than elimination and often carries emotional or political weight. Exclusion means leaving something out from the start rather than actively removing it. For example, a company may announce the elimination of single-use cups (removing them from use), the expulsion of a member who broke the rules (forced removal as punishment), the erasure of a community's history from official records (deliberate removal of all traces), and the exclusion of certain applicants from the shortlist (keeping them out from the beginning).

removal ↗expulsion ↗erasureexclusion ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • elimination round
  • elimination match
  • elimination process
  • elimination method

Phrases

  • process of elimination
  • elimination of poverty
  • elimination of waste

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

From the Latin verb 'eliminare' (to turn out of doors, expel), which combines 'ex-' (out of) with 'limen' (threshold). The image is of someone being pushed across the threshold and out of the house. The word entered English in the mid-16th century with the meaning 'to expel or drive out.' By the 18th century it had broadened to cover removal in any context, and in the 19th and 20th centuries it acquired specific uses in logic (process of elimination), sports (elimination from a tournament), and mathematics (elimination of variables).