removal

re·mov·al
R1E1M3O1V4A1L1
UK/ɹɪˈmuː.vəl/Canada, US/ɹɪˈmu.vəl/Canada, US/ɹəˈmuː.vəl/Australia/ɹɪˈmʉː.vəl/

noun

The process of removing or the fact of being removed.

“The board decided the removal of the branch manager was the best option after his misbehaviour.”

Opposite
Very commonScrabble 12

Meanings

nounremoval (countable and uncountable, plural removals)

plural removals

  1. countableuncountableThe process of removing or the fact of being removed.

    Mr. Homan has been the agency’s executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations, the division that carries out the removals.

    2017 January 31, Ron Nixon, “Trump Names Thomas Homan as Acting Immigration Enforcement Chief”, in The New York Times
    2 more examples

    At the same time, there have been significant grubbings of these pears, especially in Tasmania where removals have been assisted by the Fruit Growing Reconstruction Scheme.

    1976, Occasional Paper

    The removal of unsightly graffiti on the sides of railway bridges spanning major roads in the North West is to be handed over to National Highways, to speed up the job.

    2021 October 20, “Network News: NR and NH tackle graffiti vandalism”, in RAIL, number 942, page 9
  2. countableuncountableThe relocation of a business etc.
  3. countableuncountableThe dismissal of someone from office.

    The board decided the removal of the branch manager was the best option after his misbehaviour.

  4. IrelandcountableuncountableAn evening funeral ritual in which the coffin holding the deceased is brought, usually from a funeral home, to the church where the funeral mass will be celebrated the following day. Prayers are said before and after the journey, after which mourners are typically received at the home of the deceased.
  5. countableeuphemisticslanguncountableMurder.

Synonyms & antonyms

moving to another place

Opposite

nounthe act of removing

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)ewh₁-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*m(y)owh₁éyeti
  5. Proto-Italic*moweō
  6. Latinmoveō
  7. Latinremoveō
  8. Old Frenchremovoir
  9. Anglo-Normanremover
  10. Middle Englishremoven
  11. Englishremove
  12. Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
  13. Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
  14. Englishremoval

From remove + -al.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek μετάστασις
  • μετάστασις (metástasis)the process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Bulgarian отстраняване, преместване
  • отстраняване (otstranjavane)the process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • преместване (premestvane)the relocation of a business etc
  • уволнение (uvolnenie)the dismissal of someone from office
  • погребение (pogrebenie)a funeral ceremony
Czech odstranění
  • odstraněníthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Dutch verwijdering
  • verwijderingthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Esperanto forigo
  • forigothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Finnish poisto, poistaminen
  • poistothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • poistaminenthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • muuttothe relocation of a business etc
  • muuttaminenthe relocation of a business etc
  • erottaminenthe dismissal of someone from office
French enlèvement, élimination
  • enlèvementthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • éliminationthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • prélèvementthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • déménagementthe relocation of a business etc
  • destitutionthe dismissal of someone from office
German Umzug, Entlassung
  • Umzugthe relocation of a business etc
  • Entlassungthe dismissal of someone from office
Hindi बहिष्कार, निष्कासन
  • बहिष्कार (bahiṣkār)the process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • निष्कासन (niṣkāsan)the dismissal of someone from office
Hungarian eltávolítás, kiszedés
  • eltávolításthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • kiszedésthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • leszedésthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • elmozdításthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • eltörlésthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • megszüntetésthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • költözésthe relocation of a business etc
  • költözködésthe relocation of a business etc
  • költöztetésthe relocation of a business etc
  • elbocsátásthe dismissal of someone from office
Indonesian penghapusan
  • penghapusanthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Italian estirpazione, asportazione
  • estirpazionethe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • asportazionethe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • eliminazionethe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Japanese 排除, 除去
  • 排除the process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • 除去the process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • 異動the dismissal of someone from office
  • 更迭the dismissal of someone from office
  • 左遷the dismissal of someone from office
  • 葬儀a funeral ceremony
  • 葬式a funeral ceremony
  • 告別式a funeral ceremony
  • 追悼式a funeral ceremony
Latin remotio, ablatio
  • remotiothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • ablatiothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • demptiothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Polish usunięcie, zwolnienie
  • usunięciethe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • zwolnieniethe dismissal of someone from office
Portuguese remoção, eliminação
  • remoçãothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • eliminaçãothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
Russian удаление, увольнение
  • удаление (udalenije)the process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • увольнение (uvolʹnenije)the dismissal of someone from office
Spanish remoción, eliminación
  • remociónthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • eliminaciónthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • removimientothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • quitamientothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • quitaciónthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • extracciónthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • extirpaciónthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • supresiónthe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • trasladothe process of moving, or the fact of being removed
  • mudanzathe relocation of a business etc
  • trasteothe relocation of a business etc
  • remociónthe dismissal of someone from office

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with removal

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

removal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/removal

MLA

“removal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/removal. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “removal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/removal.

Source: removal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.