WordValeexpunge
to erase a conviction from a legal record
In more detail
1. (verb) to completely remove or erase something, especially from a record or memory
2. (verb) in law, to officially remove a criminal record so that it no longer appears in public documents
Examples
- 1. The court agreed to expunge the conviction from his criminal record after he completed the program.
- 2. Time cannot expunge these terrible memories from my mind.
How to use expunge
Expunge is a formal word used primarily in legal contexts when discussing the official removal of criminal records, though it can also mean to erase something more generally from records or memory. It carries a sense of complete, official removal rather than mere deletion, and implies a formal process or deliberate action.
Common phrases
- expunge a record
- expunge from memory
- expunge a conviction
- expunge from history
- petition to expunge
Synonyms
erase · remove · delete · obliterate · strike out
Opposites
preserve · retain · maintain
Word family
expungement (noun) · expunged (adjective)
A common mistake
Learners sometimes confuse expunge with expunge meaning 'to purify or cleanse through punishment,' which is actually not a standard modern usage; the word exclusively means to remove or erase.
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