expunge

/ɪkˈspʌnd͡ʒ/

//ɪkˈspʌnd͡ʒ// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"expunge" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“expunge” is uncommon English (frequency #69,039 among 2,246 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#69,039
frequency rank, English
2,246
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To erase or strike out.

Corpus desk

Index EN-expunge · expunge · English

expunge · rank #69,039 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #69,039
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,246
  • PHOTO-FINISH exhorting

Nearest frequency peer: exhorting (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “expunge”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “expunge” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for expunge
PropertyValue
Headwordexpunge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɪkˈspʌnd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#69,039
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “expunge” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).expungefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “exhorting” (#69,038), “Fabre” (#69,040), “falciparum” (#69,041). Among 2,246 “E” headwords, “expunge” is #69,039. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

expunge is uncommon English at frequency #69,039 among 2,246 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɪkˈspʌnd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for expunge in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin expungere. The correct English form is expunge, spelled E-X-P-U-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To erase or strike out.
  2. 2
    To eliminate completely; to annihilate.
  3. 3
    To delete permanently (e-mail etc.) that was previously marked for deletion but still stored.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how expunge appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The gentleman from Texas [Mr. CRAIN] asks unanimous consent to expunge from the RECORD and from the Journal the motion to excuse the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. ALLEN] […]

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin expungere.

This word in other languages

borrar(Español)effacer(Français)durchstreichen(Deutsch)expungir(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "expunge"?
"expunge" is spelled E-X-P-U-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɪkˈspʌnd͡ʒ/.
What does "expunge" mean?
As a verb, "expunge" means: To erase or strike out.
How do you pronounce "expunge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "expunge" is /ɪkˈspʌnd͡ʒ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "expunge"?
Learned borrowing from Latin expungere. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "expunge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Foulkes#69,058echidna#69,018détente#69,016Fulford#69,065

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list