# evict

/ɪˈvɪkt/ (US) · /ɪvˈɪkt/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/evict
Updated: 2026-05-18

## Definition

to force someone to leave a place they are living in, usually because they have not paid rent. In computing, it means to remove a program or file from a computer's memory to make room for others.

For teachers: to legally force a person to leave a property they occupy; in a computing context, to remove a process or data from memory to free up space for other operations.

## Examples

- The landlord decided to evict the tenants for non-payment.
- The operating system may evict a background application to ensure the current task runs smoothly.
- When the system detects low memory, it will evict the least recently used processes to maintain stability and prevent the machine from crashing under heavy load.

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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.