# elimination

/ɪˌɫɪməˈneɪʃən/ (US) · /ɪlˌɪmɪnˈeɪʃən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/elimination
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. removal of something

noun · CEFR B2

the act of removing or getting rid of something completely.

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

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

### 2. losing a competition

noun · CEFR B2

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

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

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

### 3. biological waste

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

the way your body gets rid of waste products.

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

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

Teaching tip: This is a formal or medical term; in everyday conversation, people use more direct words like 'going to the bathroom'.

### 4. mathematics

noun · CEFR C1 · Academic · Technical

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

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

- We used the elimination method to find the value of x in the algebra problem.
- Gaussian elimination remains a fundamental algorithm in linear algebra for solving systems of linear equations and finding the rank of a matrix.

### 5. accounting

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical · Formal

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

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

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

Teaching tip: This is a highly specialized term used by auditors and corporate accountants.

## Examples

- The team faces elimination if they lose this game.
- The doctor recommended the elimination of dairy from my diet to see if my health improved.
- Through a process of elimination, the detectives ruled out every suspect who had a verifiable alibi for the night of the crime.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.