eradications
|e-ra-di-ca-tions|
🇺🇸
/ɪˌrædɪˈkeɪʃənz/
🇬🇧
/ɪˌrædɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)nz/
(eradication)
root out completely
Etymology
'eradication' ultimately comes from Latin, via the verb 'eradicare' (past participle 'eradicatus'), where 'e-' (variant of ex-) meant 'out' and 'radic-' (from 'radix') meant 'root'.
'eradicare' in Latin (meaning 'to root out') passed into Late Latin/Medieval Latin and then into English as 'eradicate' (17th century), with the noun form 'eradication' formed by the addition of the suffix '-ation'.
Initially it meant 'to root out' (literally removing by the root), and it evolved into the broader modern sense of 'to destroy or eliminate completely'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the complete removal or destruction of something harmful (such as a disease, pest, or social problem); the act of wiping out entirely.
The eradications of smallpox and rinderpest are landmark achievements in global public health.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/02 22:22