effacement
noun
ef·face·ment
i-ˈfās-mənt 
e-
1
: the act or process of effacing or eliminating something
Effacement of the forces that press upon or against consciousness is not a simple negation.—
Charles E. Winquist
Charles E. Winquist
especially
: reduction to insignificance
It wasn't until after Luce's death, in 1967, that Hadden's name was restored to its place at the top of Time's masthead. His precocious rise and then gradual effacement is the fascinating story of Isaiah Wilner's "The Man Time Forgot … " —Charles McGrath
Charles McGrath 2
medical
: the thinning or obliteration of tissue or narrowing of an internal anatomical space
effacement of the spinal subarachnoid space
especially
: the shortening and thinning of the uterine cervix during labor so that only the external orifice remains
Examples of effacement in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To be fair, the effacement of character is itself one of Leitch’s dramatic points.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
There are times in The Years when the betrayal and effacement of May compels Ernaux to say something similar.
—Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Harris’s insistence on self-effacement and close attention to Black social relations is what makes her commentary effective.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
Only in retrospect does the insincere self-effacement by some of the most powerful men of their era take on the infantile quality of potty humor.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for effacement 
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Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 2 May 2024
There are times in The Years when the betrayal and effacement of May compels Ernaux to say something similar.
—Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023
Harris’s insistence on self-effacement and close attention to Black social relations is what makes her commentary effective.
—Ismail Muhammad, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2022
Only in retrospect does the insincere self-effacement by some of the most powerful men of their era take on the infantile quality of potty humor.
—Jonathon Keats, Forbes, 3 Jan. 2023
See all Example Sentences for effacement
Cite this Entry
“Effacement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/effacement. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
effacement
noun
ef·face·ment
i-ˈfās-mənt, e-
: the thinning or obliteration of tissue or narrowing of an internal anatomical space
effacement of the spinal subarachnoid space
especially
: the shortening and thinning of the uterine cervix during labor so that only the external orifice remains
Though far from strong enough to bring your baby into the world, late-third-trimester Braxton Hicks contractions contribute to the effacement and dilation of the cervix … —Arlene Eisenberg et al., Parenting
Arlene Eisenberg et al., Parenting Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
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