Eradication

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The complete elimination or removal of something, especially a disease, pest, or unwanted group, so that it no longer exists anywhere
2. The act of completely removing or exterminating something, particularly a harmful element or unwanted phenomenon, resulting in its total absence
3. It refers to the thorough and definitive process of eliminating a particular issue, such as a disease or invasive species, so it does not recur

Etymology: "Eradication" is a Latin word built from a garden image: "ē-" meaning "out" plus "rādīx," meaning "root." To eradicate something was literally to pull it out by the root, so that it could not sprout again. The Latin verb "ērādīcāre" carried that agricultural sense, and the noun "ērādīcātiō" named the act of doing so. The word came into English by borrowing directly from Latin, and it kept the root-pulling picture intact. Its meaning has been stretched well beyond the field: today it is used for diseases, invasive species, and social problems, always with the implication that the thing is removed completely rather than merely trimmed back.

Synonyms: elimination, removal, extinction

Antonyms: introduction, inclusion, establishment