Expunge
/ɪkˈspʌndʒ/
verbC1
Definition
Expunge means to take something away completely, like erasing a word from a paper or deleting a record so it cannot be found again. It is often used with official or legal information, such as removing a criminal record or deleting sensitive data. The idea is that the thing is gone as if it never existed.
Was this helpful?
See It in Action
To remove or erase information or records completely
- •The court ordered to expunge the criminal record after five years.
- •She wanted to expunge all traces of her old email address.
- •The company expunged the outdated data from their system.
To remove memories or feelings completely (less common, more figurative)
- •He tried to expunge the painful memories from his mind.
- •The therapy helped her expunge feelings of guilt.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "expunge" like "erase" (A1 word), but much stronger—it means to remove something completely without leaving any trace
- ✓Picture a black marker covering a word on paper so no one can see the original writing at all
- ✓It's the feeling of wiping clean a whiteboard so all the old notes disappear fully
- ✓Sounds like "ex-PUNGE" → imagine a sponge that soaks up and removes all the dirt or marks completely
- ✓In stories, when a character wants to forget a bad memory, they try to expunge it from their mind like deleting a file on a computer
- ✓NOT like "hide" (which just puts something out of sight), expunge means to remove it entirely so it cannot be found again
- ✓NOT like "delete" in everyday use (which can sometimes be undone), expunge usually means permanent removal, especially in legal or official contexts
Try Other Words
- •Delete: to remove something, often digital or written (Use when talking about computers or files, less formal than expunge)
- •Remove: to take something away (Use in general situations when the removal is not necessarily permanent or official)
- •Obliterate: to destroy completely (Use when emphasizing total destruction, often physical or visible things)
- •Wipe out: to erase or destroy completely (Use in informal speech, can mean physical or figurative removal)
Unboxing
- •Prefix "ex-" means "out" or "completely"
- •Root "punge" comes from Latin "pungere" meaning "to prick" or "to sting," but here it evolved to mean removing sharply or completely
- •The word entered English in the 1600s with the meaning of removing or erasing something completely
- •Today, "expunge" is mostly used in legal, official, or serious contexts to mean permanent removal or deletion
Reflect & Connect
•What kinds of records or memories do you think people want to expunge, and why?
•How does the idea of expunging relate to forgiveness or starting a new life?
Fill in the blanks
1.The court decided to expunge the record because the crime was ___ many years ago and the person behaved well since then.
2.When you expunge information, you want to make sure there are ___ traces left behind.
3.Unlike just hiding files, to expunge data means to remove it ___ and forever.
4.People sometimes wish to expunge bad memories to feel ___ and free from the past.
5.The police department agreed to expunge the charges after the evidence showed ___.
6.Expunge is often used in legal settings, where records are removed by ___ decision or order.
7.When a company expunges data, it usually means they ___ it from all their systems, not just move it somewhere else.