eliminieren

Eliminieren is a German transitive verb meaning to remove, discard, or render something unnecessary. It is used in everyday language for processes that reduce or eliminate items, flaws, or options. In a competitive context, it also means to remove a participant or team from a tournament. In more violent or criminal contexts the term can imply killing, but such usage is informal and often replaced by more neutral terms like töten or umbringen.

Etymology and related forms: Eliminieren is borrowed from French éliminer, which in turn comes from Latin eliminare, formed from ex- “out” and limen “threshold.” The noun form is Eliminierung, and related technical terms include Eliminationsmethode or Eliminationsverfahren in mathematics and logic.

Usage in different domains: In mathematics and logic, eliminieren refers to removing variables, solutions, or cases to simplify a problem, as in method of elimination. In statistics and data processing, elimination procedures remove undesired data. In sports and games, to eliminate a competitor means to defeat them so they can no longer advance. In chemistry, an eliminierungsreaktion (elimination reaction) describes a process where atoms or groups are removed from a molecule to form a multiple bond.

Synonyms and contrasts: Synonyms include beseitigen, entfernen, ausmerzen (more drastic or negative), and ausschalten (often technical or equipment-related). Eliminieren tends to be neutral or context-dependent, whereas töten carries explicit intentional killing.

See also: Eliminierung, Eliminationsmethode, Eliminationsverfahren, elimination (in English technical usage).