What does "erase" mean?
The operation of deleting data.
Erase
/ɪˈɹeɪs/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The operation of deleting data.
- Grammar: erase is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: delete, abbreviate, ablate, abolish.
- Useful contrasts: auditory imprinting, blue cue, careful observation journal.
- Usage evidence: He wishes to erase bad memories.
How to use "erase"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "erase" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "erase" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "erase" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "erase" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "erase" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "delete" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "erase", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The operation of deleting data.
"This subsystem is waiting to become Exclusive after having issued an erase."
Verb
- 1 To remove (markings or information). transitive
"I erased that word from the page because it was wrong."
- 2 remove from memory or existence wordnet
- 3 To obliterate information from (a storage medium), such as to clear or (with magnetic storage) to demagnetize. transitive
"I'm going to erase this tape."
- 4 wipe out digitally or magnetically recorded information wordnet
- 5 To obliterate (information) from a storage medium, such as to clear or to overwrite. transitive
"I'm going to erase those files."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 remove by or as if by rubbing or erasing wordnet
- 7 To remove a runner from the bases via a double play or pick off play transitive
"Jones was erased by a 6-4-3 double play."
- 8 To be erased (have markings removed, have information removed, or be cleared of information). intransitive
"The chalkboard erased easily."
- 9 To disregard (a group, an orientation, etc.); to prevent from having an active role in society. transitive
"I suggest, then, that counterdiscourses, when reductive, tend to emulate the screen discourse that erases gay sociality."
- 10 To kill; assassinate. slang, transitive
Antonyms
Example
"He wishes to erase bad memories."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "erase"?
Common synonyms include: delete, abbreviate, ablate, abolish, abrade, abrase.
How do you use "erase" in a sentence?
He wishes to erase bad memories.
How do you pronounce "erase"?
Pronounced /ɪˈɹeɪs/.
Etymology
From Latin erasus, past participle of eradere (“to scrape, to abrade”), from ex- (“out of”) + radere (“to scrape”). Compare Middle English arasen, aracen (“to eradicate, erase”). Displaced native Old English dilegian.