What does "elimination" mean?

1. (removal of something) the act of removing or getting rid of something completely. 2. (losing a competition) the act of being removed from a game or competition because you lost. 3. (biological waste) the way your body gets rid of waste products. 4. (mathematics) removing a variable from an equation to make it easier to solve. 5. (accounting) removing transactions between companies in the same group so the final report is accurate.

How do you use "elimination"?

Often used in the phrase 'process of elimination' to describe finding an answer by removing wrong options. Commonly used in 'elimination round' or 'elimination match'. Uncountable when referring to the general biological function. Usually refers to 'consolidation eliminations' in financial reporting.

elimination

US //ɪˌɫɪməˈneɪʃən// UK //ɪlˌɪmɪnˈeɪʃən// elim·i·na·tion

1 removal of something (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the act of removing or getting rid of something completely.

the act of removing or excluding something from a set, system, or consideration.

Example

The elimination of waste in the factory helped the company save a lot of money.

Example

Through a careful process of elimination, the detectives ruled out every suspect who had a solid alibi for the night of the crime.

Usage

Often used in the phrase 'process of elimination' to describe finding an answer by removing wrong options.
- addition
- inclusion
2 losing a competition (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Sport

the act of being removed from a game or competition because you lost.

the exclusion of a contestant or team from a tournament following a defeat or a vote.

Example

The team was sad after their elimination from the tournament in the first round.

Example

The sudden elimination of the defending champions in the quarter-finals shocked the fans and changed the betting odds for the entire tournament.

Usage

Commonly used in 'elimination round' or 'elimination match'.
- knockout
- eviction
- qualification

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3 biological waste (n.)
C1 Advanced Technical Medicine

the way your body gets rid of waste products.

the physiological process of discharging or excreting waste products from the body.

Example

Drinking plenty of water is important for the healthy elimination of toxins.

Example

The kidneys play a vital role in the elimination of nitrogenous waste and the maintenance of fluid balance within the body.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the general biological function.

Teacher's tip

This is a formal or medical term; in everyday conversation, people use more direct words like 'going to the bathroom'.
- excretion
- discharge
- absorption
- ingestion
4 mathematics (n.)
C1 Advanced Academic Technical Math

removing a variable from an equation to make it easier to solve.

the process of removing one or more variables from a system of equations to simplify the solving process.

Example

We used the elimination method to find the value of x in the algebra problem.

Example

Gaussian elimination remains a fundamental algorithm in linear algebra for solving systems of linear equations and finding the rank of a matrix.
- simplification
5 accounting (n.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Formal Law

removing transactions between companies in the same group so the final report is accurate.

the process of removing the effects of inter-company transactions when preparing consolidated financial statements.

Example

The accountant performed an elimination of the internal sales between the two branches.

Example

During the year-end audit, the team focused on the elimination of inter-company profits to ensure the consolidated balance sheet reflected only external market activity.

Usage

Usually refers to 'consolidation eliminations' in financial reporting.

Teacher's tip

This is a highly specialized term used by auditors and corporate accountants.
- reconciliation

Origin

Borrowed from Latin ēliminātiō, from eliminate + -ion.