soft-delete

verb

To remove access to (a resource), without deleting the resource itself.

“That service was criticized for soft-deleting users' files without their knowledge, meaning they were still internally able to access everything.”

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Meanings

verbsoft-delete (third-person singular simple present soft-deletes, present participle soft-deleting, simple past and past participle soft-deleted)

present singular third person soft-deletes · participle present soft-deleting · participle past soft-deleted · past soft-deleted · alternative soft delete · alternative softdelete

  1. transitivecomputingTo remove access to (a resource), without deleting the resource itself.

    That service was criticized for soft-deleting users' files without their knowledge, meaning they were still internally able to access everything.

Cite this entry
APA

soft-delete. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft-delete

MLA

“soft-delete.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft-delete. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “soft-delete,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/soft-delete.

Source: soft-delete on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.