Expunctions

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The act of removing or erasing text from a document or record
2. The process by which certain information is eliminated from legal or official writings
3. A term referring to deletions made to ensure compliance with laws or standards

Etymology: "Expunctions" is the plural of "expunction," a noun for the act of removing or erasing text from a document or record. The singular form is the basic word, and the plural simply counts separate acts of erasure. The base word is a learned borrowing from Latin "expunctio," which is the noun of action from the verb "expungere," meaning to mark out or blot out, or to remove something by pricking or striking through it. The Latin verb is built from "ex-," meaning out, and "pungere," meaning to prick or puncture. Its original sense is therefore physical: to mark a writing by pricking dots through it or puncturing it, which is how a Roman writing could be cancelled. From there the verb broadened to mean removing or wiping out anything at all. English took the noun "expunction" directly from Latin, which is why its spelling and shape remain so close to the original.

Synonyms: removals, erasures